West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Assam government on Saturday, accusing it of targeting Bengali-speaking citizens in the state and pushing a divisive political agenda.

Condemning what she called the harassment of Bengalis in Assam, Banerjee said, “The second most spoken language in the country, Bangla, is also the second most spoken language of Assam. To threaten citizens, who want to coexist peacefully respecting all languages and religions, with persecution for upholding their own mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional.”

She further stated, “This divisive agenda of the BJP in Assam has crossed all limits and people of Assam will fight back. I stand with every fearless citizen who is fighting for the dignity of their language and identity, and their democratic rights.”

The Chief Minister accused BJP governments of branding Bengali-speaking migrants as “illegal Bangladeshis” or “Rohingya,” a move she believes is aimed at stirring communal divisions.

Her remarks came days after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit back at her, saying, “The question is whether Mamata Banerjee likes Bengalis or only Muslim-Bengalis. My answer is only Muslim-Bengalis... If she comes to Assam for the Muslim-Bengalis, the Assamese people and Hindu-Bengalis will not spare her.”

This political clash escalated after Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata earlier this week against the alleged mistreatment of Bengali-speaking citizens in BJP-ruled states. She reiterated her commitment to protecting the rights, dignity, and identity of Bengalis across India.