Mamata Fumes Over Assam Foreigners' Tribunal Notice to Dinhata Farmer, Calls it Systematic Assault on Democracy

PTI, KOLKATA, JULY 8, 2025 ;  Alleging that it was a systematic assault on democracy, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday hit out at the BJP after a Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam served a notice to a farmer from West Bengal's Coochbehar, declaring him an illegal migrant. Urging the Opposition to unite against what she called the BJP's "divisive and oppressive machinery", Mamata alleged that it was proof that the ruling dispensation in Assam was attempting to implement NRC in West Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction.

"I am shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that the Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam has issued an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a Rajbanshi, resident of Dinhata in Cooch Behar for over 50 years. Despite furnishing valid identity documents, he is being harassed on suspicion of being a 'foreigner/illegal migrant'," she said in a post on X. "This is nothing short of a systematic assault on democracy. It is proof that the ruling BJP dispensation in Assam is attempting to implement NRC in Bengal, where it holds no power or jurisdiction," she added.

The Chief Minister claimed that a premeditated attempt was being made to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalized communities. "This unconstitutional overreach is anti-people, and exposes BJP’s dangerous agenda of bulldozing democratic safeguards and erasing the identity of Bengal's people," she alleged.

"This alarming situation calls for urgent unity among all Opposition parties to stand up against BJP's divisive and oppressive machinery. Bengal will not stand by as the constitutional fabric of India is torn apart," she said.

The Chief Minister's statement came a day after the farmer told reporters that he had never stepped out of Coochbehar and was stunned to receive the notice labelling him an illegal immigrant. The state BJP had earlier blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led government for irregularities in documentation for the incident. It had claimed that many illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have obtained forged Indian documents and are now being passed off as legitimate citizens.