The Congress held a demonstration in front of Utkal Bhavan in Kolkata on Tuesday to protest the brutal killing of a 30-year-old migrant worker from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district in Odisha’s Sambalpur district following an altercation over a bidi.
The party alleged a disturbing rise in targeted violence against Bengali-speaking labourers across several states.
The victim, identified as Juel Sheikh, was working, along with a few others from West Bengal, in the construction of a building in Shanti Nagar in the Ainthapalli police station area.
According to police, Sheikh and his colleagues were returning from work when they were intercepted by a group of six men who demanded a bidi. A scuffle ensued following a verbal altercation, during which Sheikh was severely thrashed. He later succumbed to his injuries at a Sambalpur hospital. All six suspects have since been arrested.
Leading the protest, Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty characterised the incident as part of a larger, systemic pattern of harassment.
Under the leadership of Shahina Javed, WBPYC, gherao Utkal Bhavan demanding justice for Bengali migrant workers being targeted and killed in BJP-ruled states just for being Bengali.
Remembering Anjel Chakma—his last words: “I am Indian, not Chinese.”
This hatred must stop. ✊ pic.twitter.com/32FPcSi6k8— WB Youth Congress (@IYCWestBengal) December 30, 2025
Chakraborty claimed that workers from West Bengal were being “tortured” and targeted in states like Odisha, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan simply for speaking Bengali.
“The workers are forced to leave their homes because there is no livelihood, no jobs, in their areas. When they go outside the state to earn a living, they are attacked for their identity,” Chakraborty told reporters during the protest.
Demanding immediate government intervention, the Congress leader said the safety of migrant workers must be ensured through institutional measures.
The Congress leader urged the government to issue official identity cards to all migrant workers. He suggested these cards include the worker’s home district, local police station details, and emergency contact numbers to ensure institutional protection.
“These identity cards should clearly mention the worker’s home district, the local police station and the contact number of a police officer so that they can seek immediate help while working outside the state,” he said.
The Congress leader further stated that such incidents would continue unless concrete steps were taken to protect migrant workers.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal’s ruling TMC claimed that Sheikh was beaten to death over suspicion that he was an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant.
