TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee slams BJP over migrant workers’ ordeal when detained in Maharashtra

Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) met with migrant workers at Tapan under West Bengal’s Balurghat constituency, which is led by BJP MP and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar. The TMC leader said that the migrant workers did not receive support from the BJP leader when they were detained in Maharashtra. 

The two workers come from Balurghat were detained in Maharashtra’s Bhiwandi for allegations of being Bangladeshi nationals. They remained behind bars for almost seven months. 

“They (migrant workers) were heckled and harassed for speaking in Bengali… In which language does MP Sukanta Majumdar speak? If speaking in Bengali means being Bangladeshi, he (Sukanta Majumdar) too is Bangladeshi,” Mr. Banerjee said after meeting with the two migrant workers, Asit Sarkar and Gautam Barman, at their home. 

Mr. Banerjee, a Lok Sabha MP himself and second-in-command in the TMC, raised questions about Mr. Majumdar’s alleged lack of action to help the two migrant workers and failure to inform the Maharashtra government that two people from his constituency were wrongfully detained. 

He asked Mr. Majumdar to take responsibility for the people who voted for and helped him win the elections. 

The Lok Sabha MP further added that when a person is in need their party does not see party colours before helping.  

“We sought help from Sukanta Majumdar… I spoke to local leaders as well, but they did not listen to our requests. After three months, I reached out to TMC leaders through a local here,” a BJP worker said while interacting with Mr. Banerjee on Wednesday (January 7).