KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting his immediate intervention and outlining a four-point plan to protect labourers from Bengal facing violence in BJP-governed States, particularly Odisha. The TMC MP’s letter details alleged systematic violence against workers from West Bengal, especially those from his constituency of Berhampore and Murshidabad, claiming they have been subjected to brutal attacks, intimidation, looting, and threats to vacate their workplaces. In a strongly worded letter, Berhampore MP Yusuf Pathan expressed deep concern about labourers who were forced to flee the neighbouring state in fear for their lives. He stated that, according to multiple reports, the violence is linked to the formation of the BJP-led government in Odisha, after which “several organised groups have allegedly launched systematic assaults on labourers from West Bengal.” “I write to you with grave concern regarding the alarming rise in incidents of violence against migrant workers from Bengal, particularly those hailing from my constituency Berhampore, Murshidabad, and surrounding districts, who recently returned from Odisha after being subjected to targeted attacks,” Pathan wrote in his letter dated April 27, which was released on Friday. He added, “Several organised groups allegedly launched systematic assaults on labourers from West Bengal… Many were assaulted at night, robbed of their mobile phones and earnings, had their Aadhaar cards destroyed, and were forcibly evicted from their accommodations. Disturbingly, similar incidents occurred in August–September 2024 as well.” “The systematic targeting of workers from West Bengal, especially those from the Muslim community, based on their regional identity, is deeply troubling. Such acts violate the fundamental principles of unity, integrity, and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution. Beyond the disruption to livelihoods, these attacks threaten the very lives and basic human rights of innocent citizens,” the cricketer-turned-politician wrote. “I urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to: first, direct the Odisha state administration to take prompt and strict action against the perpetrators; second, ensure the safety and security of all migrant workers in the affected districts; third, constitute a central fact-finding team to investigate the root causes and extent of the violence; and fourth, provide necessary relief and rehabilitation support to the workers returning to West Bengal,” Pathan wrote. He emphasised that the situation transcended ordinary law and order issues and was “a matter of human dignity and the constitutional right to work and reside in any part of our federal nation.” Pathan noted that numerous videos documenting these alleged attacks had circulated on social media, underscoring the seriousness of the issue and triggering widespread public concern. According to him, approximately 20,000 workers have fled Odisha in recent days fearing for their lives. According to the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, an estimated 22 lakh migrants from the state work elsewhere in India, though the actual number may be significantly higher. Though the letter was dated April 27, the Trinamool Congress amplified it on social media platforms on Friday and reiterated the demands made by the party MP. Party sources said the MP’s letter was not highlighted earlier as the TMC did not want any diversions to overshadow the inauguration of the Jagannath temple in Digha, West Bengal, on April 30 the day of Akshay Tritiya by Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee. Gujarat-based Yusuf Pathan was the Trinamool Congress’s surprise candidate for Berhampore in the last Lok Sabha elections. He defeated five-time Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who had also written letters on the same issue to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Pathan recently faced criticism after posting a photo on Instagram showing him sipping tea and relaxing at an estate, just a day after violent clashes over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in West Bengal’s Murshidabad adjoining his constituency left three dead and dozens injured. “Easy afternoons, good chai, and calm surroundings. Just soaking in the moment,” the caption read.