The Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration in West Bengal is facing significant backlash after a video of an attack on two students from Bihar went viral on social media on 26th September. The incident took place in Siliguri, where a group of men, claiming to be police officials, assaulted the young men. The victims had reportedly traveled to the state to participate in the physical examination for the Staff Selection Commission General Duty (SSC GD) recruitment. The shocking footage has sparked outrage, with Union ministers Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Shandilya Giriraj Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) publicly condemning the West Bengal government.
Union Ministers Condemn the Assault
In a fiery response, Union Minister Shandilya Giriraj Singh lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee administration, saying, “Red carpet for Rohingya Muslims in Bengal and Bihar kid beaten up for taking an exam? Are these children not part of India? Has the Mamata government taken the contract of only saving rapists?” He tagged Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, in his tweet, further amplifying the political implications of the incident.
बंगाल में रोहिंग्या मुसलमान के लिए रेड कारपेट और परीक्षा देने गए बिहार के बच्चे के साथ मारपीट ?
क्या ये बच्चे हिंदुस्तान के अंग नहीं?
क्या ममता सरकार ने सिर्फ बलात्कारियों को बचाने का ठेका ले रखा है?@SuvenduWB pic.twitter.com/FVyOhSn5aw— Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) September 26, 2024
Chirag Paswan also voiced his concerns, calling the attack on Bihari students “unfortunate and condemnable.” He stated, “The Chief Minister of that state has once again insulted the Biharis, which cannot be tolerated at all. I want to ask Mamata Banerjee ji, is it a crime to take an exam in West Bengal?” Paswan further questioned the silence of opposition party leaders, particularly addressing the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar. Additionally, he urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter and hold the culprits accountable.
पश्चिम बंगाल में बिहारी छात्रों से बर्बरतापूर्ण मारपीट की खबर बेहद दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण और निंदनीय है। वहां की मुख्यमंत्री ने फिर एक बार बिहारियों का अपमान किया है, जिसे कतई बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जा सकता। मैं ममता बनर्जी जी से पूछना चाहता हूं कि क्या पश्चिम बंगाल में परीक्षा देना भी गुनाह… pic.twitter.com/r63phJkbcr
— युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) September 26, 2024
The Assault: A Disturbing Video
The video that went viral shows two young men, reportedly from Bihar, being attacked by a group of individuals who claimed to be police officials. In the footage, the men are seen sleeping when a group storms into their room, wakes them up, and questions them about their identity in Bengali. Upon learning they were from Bihar, the group accused the students of forging their domicile documents to sit for the SSC GD exam in West Bengal.
Ankit Yadav, one of the victims, is seen explaining that they were assigned the Siliguri centre for their physical examination. However, the group aggressively disputes this, claiming that only residents of West Bengal could apply for that centre. As the argument escalates, Yadav and his companion are threatened and asked to hand over their documents. Yadav’s reluctance to comply out of fear that his papers would be torn leads to further assault, with one of the men slamming him against a wall. Both victims are also forced to perform sit-ups and told never to return to West Bengal for exams.
Political and Ethnic Tensions Behind the Assault
Rajat Bhattacharya, the prime accused in the assault, has been identified as a member of Bangla Pokkho, an organization known for its advocacy of the Bengali language and its opposition to the influx of Hindi-speaking job seekers from other states. Bhattacharya and his group accused youths from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of “snatching jobs” from local Bengali candidates by allegedly using fake certificates to participate in SSC exams in West Bengal.
In a statement, Bhattacharya said, “We are from the Bangla Pokkho organization and we were told that they have fake certificates. So, we went there to catch them.” He admitted that the group initially planned to take the students to the police but claimed the students were “saved” by individuals associated with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) before they could do so. Bhattacharya defended his actions, stating, “We wanted to catch them red-handed first and then take them to the police.”
Political Fallout for the TMC Government
The incident has ignited a wave of criticism against the Trinamool Congress government, with opposition leaders accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of neglecting the safety of non-Bengali residents and job seekers in the state. The attack has also reignited debates about the growing ethnic tensions in West Bengal, particularly between Bengali locals and migrants from Hindi-speaking states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The attack on Bihari students has raised concerns about the safety of individuals from other states who come to West Bengal for employment or educational opportunities. As the controversy unfolds, there are growing demands for accountability from the state government, with political leaders like Chirag Paswan and Giriraj Singh calling for swift justice.
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Overview
The viral video of the assault on two Bihari students has put the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in the spotlight, facing accusations of enabling an environment of hostility towards non-Bengali residents. With national political leaders stepping in, the incident has escalated into a larger debate about regionalism, job security, and governance in West Bengal. The opposition has called for a thorough investigation, and it remains to be seen how the state government will respond to the mounting pressure.
