Mamata Banerjee Accuses Assam Government of Harassing Bengal Resident with NRC Notice

KOLKATA– West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Assam government on Tuesday, accusing it of harassing a resident of Cooch Behar district by branding him a foreign infiltrator through an unwarranted National Register of Citizens (NRC) notice.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson described the incident as a “systematic assault on democracy” and an attempt by the Assam government to impose NRC measures in West Bengal, where it lacks jurisdiction.

In a statement posted on her official X handle, Banerjee expressed shock and dismay over the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam issuing an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a Rajbanshi resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar, who has lived there for over 50 years.

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“Despite furnishing valid identity documents, he is being harassed on suspicion of being a ‘foreigner/illegal migrant,'” Banerjee stated, calling the move a premeditated effort to “intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalized communities.”

The Chief Minister further alleged that the incident is proof of the BJP’s agenda to extend the NRC into West Bengal, undermining democratic safeguards and erasing the identity of Bengal’s people. “This unconstitutional overreach is anti-people and exposes BJP’s dangerous agenda of bulldozing democratic safeguards,” she said, urging opposition parties to unite against what she termed the “BJP’s divisive and oppressive machinery.”

West Bengal minister and Dinhata’s TMC leader Udayan Guha echoed Banerjee’s sentiments, asserting that Brajabasi, a member of the Rajbanshi community, was unfairly targeted, and the Assam police had no right to issue such a notice.

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The controversy comes amid heightened tensions over the NRC, with Banerjee previously questioning the Election Commission of India’s fresh electoral roll revision guidelines, suspecting they could pave the way for NRC implementation in West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. She claimed that while the guidelines were issued for Bihar’s polls, their “main target” was West Bengal.

Reacting to Banerjee’s allegations, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, dismissed her claims, stating that the Chief Minister was reacting out of fear that her “dedicated vote bank” of Bangladeshi infiltrators, including Rohingyas, would be identified and removed. BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay further refuted the allegations, calling them a “false narrative” regarding the notice issued by Assam’s Foreigners Tribunal.

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The incident has sparked a political firestorm, with Banerjee’s call for opposition unity highlighting the deepening rift between the TMC and BJP over issues of citizenship and border management. The Chief Minister’s remarks follow her earlier accusations against the Border Security Force (BSF) for allegedly allowing infiltrators into Bengal to destabilize the state, a charge the BJP has countered by accusing the TMC of obstructing national security efforts.

As the debate intensifies, the case of Uttam Kumar Brajabasi has become a flashpoint in the ongoing political tussle, raising questions about the application of NRC notices and their implications for residents in border states. Banerjee has vowed that West Bengal “will not stand by as the constitutional fabric of India is torn apart,” signaling a fierce resistance to any perceived overreach by the Assam government or the central BJP leadership.

The Assam government has yet to issue an official response to Banerjee’s allegations, but the controversy is likely to fuel further political discourse as both states gear up for crucial elections next year.