Kolkata, 26 July (H.S.) -

The arrest of 10 Bangladeshi infiltrators in Haryana has triggered a fresh political row, with BJP IT Cell chief and party's West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya launching a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Taking to social media platform X, Malviya taunted Banerjee, saying she would now begin “weeping” for the arrested individuals simply because they speak Bengali.

Mamata Banerjee will now shed copious tears for illegal Bangladeshis, claiming they 'speak Bangla' and should be treated as her guests, Malviya posted on Saturday, reacting to reports of the detention carried out by Gurugram Police. He further accused the Chief Minister of using language as a political weapon to justify illegality.

This is not compassion; it is distortion, Malviya stated. By doing this, Mamata Banerjee is compromising national security, all for the sake of vote-bank politics. When appeasement is placed above national interest, the country inevitably pays a heavy price, he said.

In recent weeks, Mamata Banerjee has shifted her political rhetoric from “Bengal in danger” to “Bengalis in danger,” frequently raising concerns about the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. Earlier this week, she announced that Trinamool Congress would stage state-wide weekend protests starting July 27 on this issue. She described the initiative as a new form of ‘Bhasha Andolon’ (Language Movement).

However, this comparison has invited criticism. Critics argue that the original Bhasha Andolon was a historic language movement in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), aimed at securing recognition for Bengali as an official language—ultimately leading to the birth of Bangladesh in 1971. Mamata Banerjee, they say, is misappropriating the sentiment of that movement without grasping its true historical and political significance.

The BJP has alleged that the Chief Minister is not concerned about genuine Indian Bengalis but is instead seeking to shield illegal Bangladeshi immigrants under the pretext of linguistic identity. According to the party, her attempt to equate the situation with a language struggle is a calculated political move that undermines national interests.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh