TMC Criticises Delhi Police For Referring To Bengali As 'Bangladeshi Language'
The TMC has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of fomenting linguistic terror against Bengali speakers.
Published : August 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM IST
New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday sharply criticised the Delhi Police for a controversial reference to Bengali as the "Bangladeshi language," calling it an insult to the language and its speakers.
TMC shared a letter from a Delhi Police inspector requesting a translator for what was labeled "Bangladeshi language" in a statement on X. The police official also mentioned the arrest of eight individuals under suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India.
"Is there no limit to the BJP's hatred towards Bengalis? After repeatedly harassing and detaining Bengali-speaking activists in BJP-ruled states, Amit Shah's Delhi Police has now crossed all limits by officially declaring our mother tongue, Bangla, as 'Bangladeshi language'," the Trinamool said in a post on X.
The police inspector claimed that documents such as national identity cards and birth certificates found on the detainees contained "texts in Bangladeshi language," which required translation into Hindi and English.
Is there no limit to @BJP4India’s hatred for Bengalis? After repeatedly harassing and detaining Bengali-speaking workers across BJP-ruled states, @AmitShah’s @DelhiPolice has now crossed all lines by officially branding our mother tongue, Bangla, as the “Bangladeshi language”.… pic.twitter.com/snPD6eLf1w
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 3, 2025
The TMC decried the use of the term, labelling it a deliberate attempt to undermine the identity of Bengali speakers in India, particularly in light of the language’s status as one of the 22 constitutionally recognised languages of the country.
TMC demanded an apology and an immediate investigation into the incident. Bengali, spoken by over 250 million people globally, holds significant cultural and linguistic importance in India, particularly in West Bengal. The TMC has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of fomenting linguistic terror against Bengali speakers, claiming the incident is part of a broader campaign to label them as "outsiders" in their own country.
The controversy follows a recent statement by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who shared a video on her X account showing a woman and child allegedly subjected to police brutality by Delhi Police. Banerjee condemned the violence, claiming the incident was an example of the "linguistic terror" faced by Bengalis under BJP rule.
"Brutal!! Horrible!! See how the Delhi Police brutally beat up a child and his mother of a migrant family from Chanchal in Malda. See how even a child is not able to escape the cruelty of violence in the reign of linguistic terror spread by the BJP in the country against Bengalis! Where are they taking our country now?" she wrote on X.
Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, also condemned the Delhi Police’s actions, labeling the harassment of Bengali-speaking migrant labourers as a denial of the country’s linguistic diversity.
As the debate intensifies, the TMC has called for swift action and accountability, urging the government to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future. The Delhi Police has yet to release an official response regarding the controversy.
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