India detains Bengali-speaking Muslims in mass raids under citizenship pretext
Dozens held in makeshift camps near Delhi despite valid IDs, fueling accusations of linguistic and religious profiling
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Dozens of Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of them internal migrants working in sanitation and informal jobs, have been detained in the northern Indian city of Gurugram in a sweeping crackdown that activists say targets both language and religion under the guise of verifying citizenship.
The detentions are part of what police claim is a campaign against undocumented foreign nationals. However, human rights advocates say the majority of those being held are Indian citizens from West Bengal and Assam who possess valid identity documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and even listings in the National Register of Citizens.
According to The Wire, at least 74 migrant workers—63 from Assam and 11 from West Bengal—were detained on July 19 alone. Many were taken from the streets or their workplaces and sent to “holding centres” described by lawyers and activists as de facto detention camps, including one in Sector 10 that reportedly holds more than 200 people.
Local political activists who visited the sites say the detainees are being kept in harsh, inhumane conditions, without proper verification procedures or legal counsel. “Most are daily-wage workers who clean corporate offices, collect garbage, or work as domestic help,” said one activist. “This is not about immigration—it’s a systematic campaign against a specific linguistic and religious group.”
The crackdown has triggered widespread alarm in migrant communities living on the margins of India’s capital region. In several slum clusters in Gurugram, particularly in Khatola village, residents fled overnight, fearing detention. A once-crowded neighbourhood of over 2,000 Assamese Muslims now lies nearly empty, with only a handful of women remaining.
“Police came without warning and took away men from their homes,” said one woman whose husband was among those detained. “They didn’t check documents. They just said, ‘You’re all Bangladeshis.’”
Many detainees had their phones confiscated, leaving families unable to reach them. Some were reportedly told they would be deported, despite having Indian citizenship documentation. Women left behind are struggling to keep families afloat and send children to school in the absence of the primary breadwinners.
The mass detentions appear to follow a central directive from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, as part of a national push against undocumented foreigners. But rights groups say the execution has turned into a witch-hunt against Bengali-speaking Muslims—particularly those who are poor, working-class, and lack the resources to fight prolonged legal battles.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the arrests and led protests in Kolkata, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of ethnic and communal profiling. “To persecute citizens simply for speaking Bangla or for their religion is both unconstitutional and immoral,” she said in a public statement.
Other political leaders from the Trinamool Congress echoed the concerns. Member of Parliament Samirul Islam, who heads a board for Bengali migrant welfare, accused the BJP of stoking anti-Bengali hatred for political gain. Parliamentarian Mahua Moitra called the detentions “state-sponsored abductions.”
Back in Gurugram, the fear is palpable. “We’ve lived and worked here for years,” said one ragpicker from West Bengal. “Suddenly, we’re treated like criminals—just for speaking our mother tongue.”
As the detentions continue, lawyers and civil society groups are calling for urgent legal review, transparent verification procedures, and the immediate release of those detained without due process.
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