Agartala, Aug 5: Leader of Opposition and senior CPI(M) politburo member Jitendra Chaudhury on Monday strongly condemned a letter from the Delhi Police that described a specific Bengali accent as the “Bangladeshi language,” calling it an insult to the Bengali language and a dangerous precedent.
The controversy arose after Delhi Police, in its communication during a crackdown on suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, reportedly referred to the language spoken by some detainees as “Bangladeshi language.”
Chaudhury argued that a person’s accent does not determine their nationality. “The question of whether the detained individuals are Bangladeshi nationals is separate. But calling their language ‘Bangladeshi’ is offensive and demeans Bengali—a language in which both India’s national anthem and national song were composed,” he said.
He further alleged that this reflects a pattern of linguistic discrimination, particularly in Hindi-speaking states, rooted in the ideological framework propagated by the RSS and BJP under the “Hindu, Hindi, Hindustan” narrative.
“Bengali is the second most spoken language in India and is listed in the Constitution’s 8th Schedule. The Delhi Police’s action undermines constitutional values and should not be viewed in isolation. It is part of a larger push for Hindi imposition,” Chaudhury stated.
Highlighting the implications for people from Tripura, he warned that many speak Bengali in accents similar to those in Bangladesh due to geographical and cultural proximity. “People from Tripura visiting Delhi may be unjustly targeted or harassed under such profiling,” he cautioned.
Chaudhury also noted that people from the North East often face discrimination in mainland India based on physical appearance and linguistic differences. “Nationality cannot be judged by how one looks or speaks,” he asserted, urging the Centre to act against such biased practices.
