Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 12 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed shock and anger over the murder of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Purulia who was working in Pune, Maharashtra.
She called the incident a hate crime, alleging that the victim was targeted for his language and identity and blamed a growing climate of xenophobia for such attacks.
The Chief Minister demanded immediate arrest and strict punishment for those responsible.
In a post on X, CM Banerjee wrote, "I am shaken, enraged, and sickened beyond words by the barbaric murder of Sukhen Mahato, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Bandwan in Purulia, the sole earning member of his family, in Pune, Maharashtra. This is nothing short of a hate crime. A young man was hunted, tortured, and murdered for his language, his identity, his roots. This is the direct consequence of a climate where xenophobia is weaponised and innocents are turned into targets."
"I demand immediate arrests and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators. And to Sukhen's family, I say that Bengal stands with you in this hour of unimaginable grief. No effort will be spared to secure justice," the post read.
Meanwhile, on Monday, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh accused the West Bengal government of failing to protect Hindus in the state, alleging rising atrocities against women and attacks on opposition workers.
Speaking to the reporters in Kolkata, Ghosh said, "The kind of incidents happening in Bengal today, the atrocities against women, the attacks on workers of opposition parties, and when we hold our programs, the police take down our flags. The police and goons are working together to do this. The Hindu community is being pushed into this situation."
"Now, Hindus are migrating from Murshidabad to Malda in Bengal. Therefore, to protect Hindus, Hindus themselves will have to come forward and choose a leader who will protect them," he said.
Politics in West Bengal has heated up as the state is set to hold Assembly Elections later this year.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) faces a major challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Amid this, the TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has not initiated any alliance discussions with the Congress or any ally, despite being part of the Opposition's INDIA Bloc.
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