Bangladeshi language row: Amid the ongoing row between Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and fellow INDIA Bloc leader M K Stalin Monday came out in support West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, stating that the TMC supremo stands as “a shield” for the language and the people of Bengal.
His latest remark is in response to a letter from the Delhi Police in which Bangla is referred to as “Bangladeshi language”.
Speaking out “in the face of assault on non-Hindi languages”, Stalin, in a strongly worded post on X, said: “Hon’ble @MamataOfficial Didi stands as a shield for the language and people of West Bengal. She will not let this attack pass without a fitting response.” He also said it is a direct insult to the very language in which India’s national anthem was written in.
“Such statements are not inadvertent errors or slips. They expose the dark mindset of a regime that consistently undermines diversity and weaponises identity,” the DMK leader added.
The Delhi Police, under the Union Home Ministry, has described Bengali as a “Bangladeshi language.” This is a direct insult to the very language in which our National Anthem was written.
Such statements are not inadvertent errors or slips. They expose the dark mindset of a… https://t.co/YrF8qGgCOo
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 4, 2025
The TMC on Sunday demanded an apology, calling it a deliberate attempt to strip a constitutionally recognised Indian language of its identity. “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’,” the party’s post on X read.
The BJP at the Centre hit back, accusing the TMC of shielding illegal Bangladeshi settlers.
The ongoing row was triggered after CM Mamata, at her recent rallies, highlighted an issue of allegations of harassment faced by migrant workers from Bengal in BJP-ruled states on suspicion of being Bangladeshis.
What the letter said
The letter dated July 24, written by Inspector Amit Dutt from Lodhi Colony Police Station to Officer-in-charge of Banga Bhawan, requested for a translator to decipher documents seized from suspected Bangladeshi nationals.
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It said that police needed an interpreter “proficient in Bangladeshi national language” to translate documents for a case involving eight persons “strongly suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India”.
“Upon inquiry, copies of national ID cards, birth certificates, bank account details etc. were found from these suspected Bangladeshi nationals. The suspected Bangladeshi nationals were arrested and remanded in judicial custody on the order of the honorable court concerned,” the letter stated.
Inspector Dutt, the Investigating Officer, wrote in the letter that the identification documents contain texts written in “Bangladeshi” and are needed to be translated to Hindi and English. “Now, for the investigation to proceed further, it is requested that an official translator /interpreter proficient in Bangladeshi national language may kindly be provided for the aforesaid purpose,” the letter said.
“Emphasis is laid on the fact that the requisite report would be a pivotal piece of evidence for successful prosecution of suspected Bangladeshi nationals facing trial. Expeditious disposal of this letter is desired as the same is required to be submitted before the honorable court in a timed manner. Any bills raised against the translation service shall be payable by the department and a quotation for the same may be communicated before hand,” Dutt said in the letter.
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Although senior police officers confirmed that the letter was sent to Banga Bhawan, an official response from Delhi Police is awaited.
