By: Camp Correspondent
July 25, 2025
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Jagannath Sarkar has stirred controversy by alleging that Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh are learning the Bengali language and adopting Bengali-sounding names to illegally acquire Aadhaar and voter identity cards in India.
Speaking to the press, Sarkar linked his allegations to the ongoing political debate in West Bengal over voter registration and language rights. He claimed that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized regional languages—including Bengali—the state government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has “turned a blind eye” to alleged Rohingya infiltration.
“Rohingya Muslims have learned Bengali and changed their names. They are managing to get Aadhaar and voter cards here,” Sarkar said. “This is a security concern. The Election Commission is right to clean up the voter list.”
Sarkar made the comments amid growing tension over the State of Individual Registration (SIR) process, which has led to the removal of large numbers of voters from electoral rolls in West Bengal and other states. Critics say the process lacks transparency and disproportionately targets minority communities, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims and alleged migrants.
Sarkar’s remarks were also in response to Mamata Banerjee’s recent call for a renewed Bhasha Andolan (language movement) to defend the cultural and linguistic rights of Bengali speakers across India. She accused the Election Commission of using the SIR process to disenfranchise millions, comparing it to the controversial voter list revisions in Bihar.
“Over 40 lakh voters were removed in Bihar. Now they’re trying to do the same in Bengal. Let them try. We’ll resist it in the streets and in court,” Banerjee said. “This is about our people, our language, and our right to exist.”
Banerjee warned of launching a “massive Gherao movement” if mass deletions take place. “We’ve faced detention before, we fought back and won. We will not allow this new law to erase our identity,” she declared.
Political Rhetoric, Disinformation, and the Rohingya Narrative
Sarkar’s remarks reflect a broader pattern of political rhetoric in India that links Rohingya refugees with threats to national security and electoral integrity—often without substantiated evidence. While India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, international law prohibits refoulement (forced return) and discrimination against stateless persons.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that such statements fuel xenophobia, deepen communal divides, and create a hostile environment for vulnerable populations like the Rohingya—many of whom are survivors of genocide and statelessness in Myanmar.
No official data supports claims of organized Rohingya infiltration into Indian electoral rolls. Most Rohingya refugees in India live under precarious legal status, with limited access to services and frequent harassment by police and local authorities.
“Weaponizing the Bengali language to demonize Rohingya refugees is a dangerous political tactic,” said a refugee rights advocate in New Delhi. “It stigmatizes both Bengali speakers and displaced populations, while diverting attention from real governance issues.”
As political parties in West Bengal brace for future elections, the conflict over voter identity, minority rights, and linguistic belonging is expected to intensify.
