West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma engaged in a fierce war of words on Saturday over alleged threats to Bengali-speaking people in Assam. Banerjee accused the BJP-led Assam government of targeting citizens for speaking their mother tongue, calling it a “divisive agenda” that violates constitutional values. She asserted that Bengali is not only the second-most spoken language in Assam but also across India, and warned that the people of Assam would resist such tactics.
In response, Sarma strongly denied the allegations and accused Banerjee of politicizing a serious demographic issue. He stated that the Assam government is not targeting any community but is instead taking a firm stand against what he described as “unchecked Muslim infiltration” from across the border—calling it a demographic threat and citing the Supreme Court’s recognition of it as “external aggression.” Sarma emphasized that Assamese society welcomes all languages and communities but must also protect its cultural and territorial integrity.
Escalating his criticism, the Assam CM accused Banerjee of compromising Bengal’s future by allegedly encouraging encroachment, appeasing a particular religious group, and ignoring threats to national security for political gain. He reiterated that Assam would continue to defend its heritage and identity with “constitutional clarity,” while accusing the West Bengal government of engaging in vote-bank politics at the cost of national interest.
