The ongoing eviction drive in the forests of Assam, which the state government claims is to drive out illegal settlers, has become a flashpoint between chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his West Bengal counterpart.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam of threatening persecution against people who want to uphold their own mother tongue, in this case Bangla, and called its actions “discriminatory” and “unconstitutional”.
Refuting the Bengal CM's claims, Himanta Sarma said what his government is actually resisting is the “unchecked Muslim infiltration” from across the border. He added that in several districts in Assam, Hindus are at the verge of becoming a minority.
Mamata Banerjee said that Bangla, which is India’s second most-spoken language, is also Assam’ second-most spoken language. She accused the Assam government of threatening people who she said want to “coexist peacefully” with persecution. She also called the agenda of BJP’s government in Assam "decisive" and added that the state's people will fight back.
“The second most spoken language in the country, Bangla, is also the second most spoken language of Assam. To threaten citizens, who want to coexist peacefully respecting all languages and religions, with persecution for upholding their own mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional,” she wrote in a post on X.
“This divisive agenda of the BJP in Assam has crossed all limits and people of Assam will fight back. I stand with every fearless citizen who is fighting for the dignity of their language and identity, and their democratic rights,” she added.
Addressing Banerjee as “Didi”, Sarma refuted her charges of persecution and discrimination and said that his government is not fighting its own people in Assam but is resisting the unchecked cross-border Muslim infiltration.
He added that even the Supreme Court has termed the infiltration as “external aggression” and accused Banerjee of politicising Assam government’s efforts of defending their land and culture.
“In Assam, we are not fighting our own people. We are fearlessly resisting the ongoing, unchecked Muslim infiltration from across the border, which has already caused an alarming demographic shift. In several districts, Hindus are now on the verge of becoming a minority in their own land. This is not a political narrative—it’s a reality. Even the Supreme Court of India has termed such infiltration as external aggression. And yet, when we rise to defend our land, culture, and identity, you choose to politicize it,” Sarma wrote on X.
He added that his government is not dividing people on the basis of language and religion, however, it was important to protect borders in order to protect a civilisation.
Sarma doubled down on Banerjee and said she has compromised West Bengal’s future by enabling illegal encroachment by a “particular community” just to “stay in power".
“We do not divide people by language or religion. Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Hindi—all languages and communities have coexisted here. But no civilisation can survive if it refuses to protect its borders and its cultural foundation,” he said.
“While we are acting decisively to preserve Assam’s identity, you, Didi, have compromised Bengal’s future—encouraging illegal encroachment by a particular community ,appeasing one religious community for vote banks, and remaining silent as border infiltration eats away at national integrity—all just to stay in power.”
“Assam will continue to fight to preserve its heritage, its dignity, and its people—with courage and constitutional clarity,” he added.
