Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee invoked late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s message on Friday to condemn what he called the rising tide of hate in the country. In 2002, when the Gujarat riots took place, Vajpayee had said: “I am trying to observe raj dharma. While police have called it a personal dispute, a witness alleged that migrant workers were asked to prove their nationality amid suspicion of being Bangladeshi nationals. In Bengal’s political atmosphere, with Assembly elections expected to be announced early next year, Abhishek has emerged as a leading voice in the TMC’s campaign against the BJP over the alleged targeting of migrant workers from the state. The party has accused BJP-ruled states of branding Bangla-speaking Muslim workers as “Bangladeshi infiltrators,” a charge the BJP has denied.

Source: The Telegraph December 26, 2025 13:39 UTC