Congress protests at Utkal Bhavan over killing of Bengali migrant worker in Odisha
Kolkata (PTI): The Congress on Tuesday staged a protest in front of Utkal Bhavan here against the killing of a migrant worker from Murshidabad district in Odisha, alleging a growing pattern of violence against Bengali-speaking workers across several states.
The demonstration was led by Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty, who said the latest incident in Odisha, where a young man from Murshidabad was allegedly beaten to death, reflected an alarming trend of harassment and attacks on Bengali migrant workers.
Chakraborty claimed that workers from West Bengal were being targeted and "tortured" in states such as Odisha, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, often merely for speaking the Bengali language.
"The workers are forced to leave their homes because there is no livelihood, no jobs, in their areas. When they go outside the state to earn a living, they are attacked for their identity," Chakraborty told reporters during the protest.
Demanding immediate government intervention, the Congress leader said the safety of migrant workers must be ensured through institutional measures. He urged the government to issue official identity cards to all migrant workers at the earliest.
"These identity cards should clearly mention the worker's home district, the local police station and the contact number of a police officer so that they can seek immediate help while working outside the state," he said.
The Congress leader said that such incidents would continue unless concrete steps were taken to protect migrant workers.
A 30-year-old migrant worker from West Bengal was allegedly killed in Odisha's Sambalpur district following an altercation over a bidi recently, police said.
Juel Sheikh was working, along with a few others from West Bengal, in the construction of a building in Shanti Nagar in the Ainthapalli police station area.
They were returning from work when a group of six men stopped them and asked for a bidi. An altercation broke out, leading to a scuffle between the two sides, police said.
Juel was thrashed severely, and he died while undergoing treatment at the Sambalpur hospital. The six accused persons have been arrested by the police.
West Bengal's ruling TMC claimed that Juel was beaten to death over suspicion that he was an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant.
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Tension during Shivaji Jayanti procession in Karnataka's Bagalkote, prohibitory orders imposed
Bagalkote (Karnataka) (PTI): Tension prevailed briefly during a Shivaji Jayanti procession here after stones were allegedly hurled at the rally, officials said on Friday.
The incident occurred on Thursday in the old city when the procession, which began around 3:30 pm, was passing through the mosque area, they said.
Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal said adequate forces were deployed for the procession.
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"We were all present at the spot. The procession began around 3:30 PM (yesterday), As it approached the mosque, two stones were thrown from a distance toward us,” he said.
According to the SP, based on preliminary information and videos reviewed by the police so far, one stone struck a police constable while the other fell on his shoulder.
“No one sustained any major injuries. After that, the procession continued smoothly, and the atmosphere remained peaceful,” Goyal said.
Police said adequate security arrangements have been made in view of the procession and the situation remained under control.
"The area where the incident occurred has been covered with CCTV cameras. We had also recorded the procession. We are reviewing the video footages. Strict action will be taken against those involved in this," he added.
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have been imposed in parts of Bagalkote from midnight of February 19 to midnight of February 24.
According to officials, under the restrictions, assembly of more than four people in public places has been prohibited. Carrying dangerous weapons, engaging in activities that may endanger public safety, and organising meetings, ceremonies or sit-ins without prior permission have also been barred.
Measures were taken to maintain law and order in the affected areas.
