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Odisha CM Majhi dismissed Mamata Banerjee’s claims of Bengalis being attacked in Odisha as baseless, clarifying police checks target suspected Bangladeshi immigrants.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, speaking at the News18 Rising Odisha Conclave in Bhubaneswar, dismissed Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of attacks on Bengalis in the state and said no Indian citizen has been harassed. (IMAGE: News18)
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday dismissed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegation that Bengalis were being attacked in his state, calling it “completely baseless.” He was speaking at News18 Odia’s Rising Odisha Conclave 2025 in Bhubaneswar.
Majhi said no Indian citizen was being harassed and that the state’s police were only conducting checks to identify suspected Bangladeshi immigrants. “Mamata Banerjee is lying. No Indian citizen and no Bengali is being harassed or tortured in Odisha. Police are only checking if there are any suspected Bangladeshi infiltrators,” he said.
The Chief Minister underlined that Odisha has for decades been home to Bengalis and has historically provided refuge during crises. “After Partition and the creation of Bangladesh, Odisha arranged for clusters in many parts of the state for displaced Bengali minorities and including areas such as Koraput, Malkangiri and other districts. They continue to live peacefully here,” Majhi said.
He further added that those with proper documents remain undisturbed, while only those without proof of citizenship are asked to return to their native places. “The state government has taken care of all citizens. But if Bangladeshi infiltrators are sneaking in and snatching livelihoods from Odia people, we are mandated to act,” he said.
“I love Odisha. We send potatoes whenever there is any shortage. We send our engineers for restoration work in Odisha after any cyclone. Why are you so upset that we have build a Jagannath Temple? Why Bengalis are getting attacked in Odisha”?– WB CM Mamata Banerjee hits back. pic.twitter.com/Ns52U8H6Lr
— Sourav || সৌরভ (@Sourav_3294) May 5, 2025
Majhi’s remarks comes after Mamata Banerjee alleged that Bengalis were being targeted in Odisha, triggering a sharp political exchange between Bhubaneswar and Kolkata.
A video from May this year went viral on social media where the West Bengal Chief Minister is heard questioning Odisha over alleged mistreatment of Bengalis in the coastal state.
“I love Odisha. We send potatoes whenever there is any shortage. We send our engineers for restoration work in Odisha after any cyclone. Why are Bengalis getting attacked in Odisha?” Banerjee can be heard saying during an interaction with press.
The video was shared on X by user @Sourav_3294 and has over 25,000 views at the time of writing this report.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
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Bhubaneswar, India, India
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