KOLKATA, July 8: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government in Assam after a Foreigners’ Tribunal in the state issued a notice to a West Bengal resident, declaring him an illegal migrant. Calling it a “systematic assault on democracy”, Banerjee accused the BJP of using institutional mechanisms to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalised communities.
The controversy erupted after Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a Rajbanshi farmer from Dinhata in Cooch Behar, received a notice from the Assam Foreigners’ Tribunal, suspecting him of being a “foreigner.” The farmer, who claims to have lived in Cooch Behar for over 50 years, told reporters he had never left the district and was shocked by the accusation despite possessing valid identity documents.
Reacting sharply, Mamata Banerjee posted on social media, “I am shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam has issued an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi. Despite furnishing valid identity documents, he is being harassed on suspicion of being a ‘foreigner/illegal migrant’.”
The Chief Minister alleged that this was not an isolated incident but part of a larger political agenda. “This is nothing short of a systematic assault on democracy. It is proof that the ruling BJP dispensation in Assam is attempting to implement NRC in Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction,” she said.
Banerjee urged opposition parties across the country to unite against what she termed as the BJP’s “divisive and oppressive machinery.”
The incident has reignited debate over citizenship, identity, and the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). While Assam has implemented the NRC under the supervision of the Supreme Court, West Bengal has consistently opposed any such move within its borders.
The state BJP, however, defended the notice, blaming the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for lax documentation protocols. BJP leaders claimed that many Bangladeshi immigrants have acquired forged Indian identity documents, and the Assam tribunal is only fulfilling its duty in verifying citizenship status.
