Kolkata, Jul 24 (PTI) BJP leader and actor Mithun Chakraborty on Thursday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, dismissing her recent remarks alleging attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in other states as “baseless” and accusing her of spreading fear for political mileage.
Talking to reporters, Chakraborty said Banerjee’s comments were intended to “stir controversy” and create “an unnecessary panic” among the people of West Bengal.
He accused the Trinamool Congress supremo of politicising the issue and attempting to monopolise the identity discourse around the Bengali language and people.
“She wants to create controversy in everything. Nothing is going to happen. Bangla language will remain as it is. Mamata Banerjee has no monopoly over it. We will put up a strong fight,” the veteran actor said.
The comments come days after Banerjee, while addressing a public rally, alleged that Bengali migrant workers were being harassed in states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra and warned against what she called the “linguistic terrorism” of the BJP.
She had also urged her party workers to launch protests against the alleged deletion of names of minority and migrant voters from electoral rolls in West Bengal and neighbouring Bihar, including a call to ‘gherao’ the Election Commission offices.
Reacting sharply to Banerjee’s gherao call, Chakraborty said, “The Election Commission must act. Fake and bogus voters have to be removed; only then will elections be fair. Even if the Commission is gheraoed, what will that achieve? What is the point of such protests?” The political war of words comes at a time when the state is witnessing rising political heat ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
While the TMC has raised concerns over what it sees as attempts to disenfranchise sections of the electorate and erode Bengali linguistic and cultural identity, the BJP has accused the ruling party of running a fear campaign and diverting attention from governance issues. PTI PNT MNB
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