Kolkata, 8 July (H.S.) -West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday strongly condemned a notice issued by the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar, labelling him a suspected foreigner under the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Calling it a systematic assault on democracy, Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of orchestrating a targeted campaign to marginalize Bengal’s citizens.

Brajabasi, who has reportedly lived in Bengal for over 50 years and possesses all valid identity documents, received an NRC-related notice from Assam’s tribunal. Banerjee alleged that despite his legal documentation, he is being harassed in an unconstitutional and inhumane manner.

Taking to social media, the Chief Minister asserted that the incident is not isolated but part of a deliberate strategy by the BJP to impose NRC in Bengal — a state where, she pointed out, the party holds no constitutional authority. She described it as a planned effort to intimidate marginalized communities and strip them of their voting rights.

“This incident proves that the BJP government is working with the agenda of destroying democracy, dismantling constitutional structures, and erasing the identity of the people of Bengal,” Banerjee wrote in her tweet. She further termed the move as an “anti-people and unconstitutional encroachment” and warned it poses a serious threat to the country’s democratic framework.

The Chief Minister also called upon all opposition parties and democratic forces to unite against what she described as divisive and oppressive politics. “Bengal will never remain silent if the Constitution of India is attacked,” she declared.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh