Brinda Karat and Anurag Saxena write to Home Minister Amit Shah, flagging rampant harassment of Bengali-speaking citizens, custodial violence, extortion and wrongful deportation
NEW DELHI — Senior leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have alleged widespread human rights violations and extortion by Delhi Police and other central agencies involved in identifying so-called “illegal Bangladeshi immigrants” in the national capital.
In a strongly worded letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and Anurag Saxena accused the authorities of racial profiling, harassment, unlawful detention, and even forced deportation of Indian citizens, primarily Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Karat, a former Rajya Sabha MP and Special Invitee to the CPI(M) Central Committee, and Saxena, who serves as Secretary of the Delhi State Committee, visited Bawana JJ Colony on July 10 with a party delegation. They said they were “shocked” by the accounts of victims and have documented multiple instances of abuse, physical assault, extortion, and police high-handedness.
The letter draws attention to a disturbing pattern: Indian citizens being treated as illegal immigrants purely because they speak Bengali. “Is it now a crime in India to speak Bengali?” the leaders asked in the letter. “Are all Bengali-speaking Muslims to be treated as criminals?”
One of the most disturbing cases involves Md Nizamuddin, a long-time resident of Bawana originally from Godda district in Jharkhand. Despite owning property allocated by the DDA since 2004, Nizamuddin and his family have allegedly been subjected to relentless police harassment over an old tenant. On July 5, he was accused of aiding a Bangladeshi national. When he denied the charge, police allegedly returned the next morning, dragged him out of his home in handcuffs, and beat him in custody.
His 28-year-old daughter Shabnam provided documentation proving the family’s Indian citizenship and Jharkhand connections, but according to the CPI(M), the police continued to abuse, threaten and detain the entire family — including two minor children aged 11 and 8. “The family’s reputation, particularly that of the young women, has been shredded,” the letter notes, demanding deletion of their photos from police records and disciplinary action against those involved.
‘Beaten for Speaking Bengali’
Another shocking incident involves Sajan Saudagar Das, a resident of Bawana’s C-block. On May 6, he was picked up by police, taken to Pritampura police station, and reportedly beaten by two officers who demanded that he admit to being Bangladeshi.
“When he pleaded for mercy, they kicked him in the ears with their boots,” the letter states. His only alleged “offence”? Speaking Bengali. Eventually, a police officer checked his phone and admitted he was picked up “by mistake.”
Elderly Women Detained
The CPI(M) leaders also described the ordeal of three elderly women, aged between 60 and 70, who were brought to India from Bangladesh as children decades ago. Married in India with Indian-born children and grandchildren, these women were picked up from their jhuggis and detained for three days at a police station in RK Puram.
Their documents were confiscated, their biometric data forcibly taken, and despite their Indian ties, they continue to face routine police inquiries. “These widows live in daily terror of deportation. This is inhumane and unjust,” said Karat and Saxena.
Perhaps the most serious allegation in the letter is the wrongful deportation of eight Bengali-speaking individuals, including a woman and a five-year-old child, on June 26. They reportedly had valid documents showing residence in Paika village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
“These are Indian citizens who were forcibly sent to Bangladesh,” the CPI(M) leaders wrote, adding that their families are now forced to undertake costly legal procedures to get justice. “What would be their plight in Bangladesh?” the letter asks.
The letter also cited incidents from Vivekanand Camp in Chanakyapuri, where police allegedly confiscated ID documents from Bengali-speaking residents and then demanded money for their return. When social workers intervened, a senior police officer reportedly denied issuing any such orders, after which the documents were returned.
Similar cases were reported in Kamla Nagar and Malviya Nagar, where Crime Branch officials detained two Indian citizens despite producing proof of birth and West Bengal residence.
Demand for Accountability
The CPI(M) has strongly condemned the identification process as arbitrary, discriminatory, and in violation of international and constitutional norms. “The process of identification of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the capital of India is a violation of minimum human rights. Genuine Indian citizens are being targeted based on language and religion,” the letter states.
Karat and Saxena called on the home minister to immediately halt the illegal raids and detentions; delete all photographs and biometric data of innocent citizens; take disciplinary action against officers involved in custodial violence and extortion; compensate the victims for trauma and wrongful detention; and ensure due process and adherence to international norms in identifying undocumented migrants.
Growing Fears of Profiling
The letter has sparked concern among rights groups and civil society activists, who fear that the current crackdown reflects a deeper pattern of profiling and communal targeting. “This is a dangerous precedent—where citizenship is questioned merely based on language, religion, or poverty,” said a Delhi-based lawyer who is helping one of the families pursue legal redress.
“This is not just about one or two incidents,” said Brinda Karat in a press briefing after releasing the letter. “It is about the rule of law, about protecting Indian citizens from abuse in the name of national security. We must speak up.”
As of now, there has been no response from the Ministry of Home Affairs to the CPI(M) letter. However, the party has said it will pursue the matter in Parliament and through legal channels if necessary.
