SDPI Condemns Delhi Police’s Insult to Bengali Language and Identity

Mohammad Shafi, National Vice President of the Social Democratic Party of India, vehemently denounce the Delhi Police’s outrageous reference to the Bengali language as the “Bangladeshi language” in a letter issued by Inspector Amit Dutt of Lodhi Colony Police Station on August 3, 2025. This shameful act, seeking translation assistance from Banga Bhawan for a case under the Foreigners Act, is a direct affront to the constitutional status of Bengali, a scheduled language under the Eighth Schedule of India’s Constitution, and an insult to millions of Bengali-speaking Indian citizens. The SDPI condemns this as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s divisive agenda to foreignize and marginalize Bengali-speaking communities, particularly Muslims, under the pretext of targeting “illegal immigrants.”

The Delhi Police’s letter is not an isolated error but a reflection of a broader pattern of linguistic and communal discrimination orchestrated by the BJP-led central government. By labeling Bengali, the language of India’s national anthem and luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore, as a “foreign language,” the BJP exposes its disregard for India’s cultural and linguistic diversity. This incident follows the BJP’s defense by Amit Malviya, who falsely claimed there is “no language called Bengali,” further inflaming tensions and alienating Bengalis. Such rhetoric mirrors the harassment of Bengali-speaking citizens in states like Assam and Haryana, where evictions and detentions, such as the July 2025 Gurugram “holding centre” cases, have targeted Bengalis without proper verification.

The SDPI, consistent with our prior statements condemning anti-Bengali persecution, demands the immediate suspension of Inspector Amit Dutt, a public apology from the Delhi Police and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and a probe into this unconstitutional act. We call on the National Human Rights Commission to investigate and ensure justice. The BJP’s politics of division threatens India’s unity, and the SDPI stands firmly with Bengali-speaking citizens to protect their rights and dignity. We urge all Indians to resist this linguistic terror and uphold our nation’s pluralistic ethos.