Kolkata, May 2 (UNI) Expressing concern over the "systematic and planned" attacks on migrant workers from West Bengal in Odisha, Trinamool Congress MP from Baharampur, Yusuf Pathan, has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a strongly worded letter to the Home Minister, cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan outlined four key demands to ensure the safety of the affected migrant workers and called for immediate intervention in the matter.
"I write to you with grave concern regarding the alarming rise in incidents of violence against migrant workers from West Bengal, particularly those hailing from my constituency Berhampore, Murshidabad and surrounding districts, who have recently returned from Odisha after being subjected to targeted attacks," Pathan wrote in his letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, dated April 27, 2025.
He said that according to multiple reports, this is linked to the formation of the BJP-led government in Odisha, following which, "several organised groups have allegedly launched systematic assaults on labourers from West Bengal,” the Trinamool Congress MP added.
The MP emphasised that this situation transcends ordinary law and order issues, describing it as "a matter of human dignity and the constitutional right to work and reside in any part of our federal nation."
Seeking immediate Central intervention, the Trinamool Congress MP has urged the Home Ministry to implement a four-point plan, including strict action against the perpetrators and the deployment of a Central fact-finding team to investigate the attacks.
"I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to direct the Odisha state administration to take prompt and stringent action against the perpetrators, ensure the safety of all migrants, form a Central fact-finding team to investigate the root causes and scale of the violence; and provide necessary relief and rehabilitation support to the workers returning to West Bengal," Pathan wrote in his letter.
Yusuf Pathan defeated Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who also had written letters on the same issue to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Pathan recently faced widespread criticism after sharing an Instagram post of himself sipping tea and relaxing at an estate, just a day after violent clashes over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in West Bengal’s Murshidabad left three dead and dozens injured.
“Easy afternoons, good chai, and calm surroundings. Just soaking in the moment,” the caption of the post read.
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