On Thursday, Bagdogra police, part of the Siliguri Police Department, apprehended two individuals accused of threatening and harassing two young men who traveled from Bihar to Siliguri for an exam. The suspects, identified as Rajat Bhattacharya and Giridhari Roy, are residents of Siliguri in West Bengal and are reportedly linked to Bangla Pokkho, a pro-Bengali advocacy group.What is the incident all about The disturbing incident came to light after video of the harassment went viral on social media, leading to widespread condemnation. In the footage, the two youths can be seen sleeping in a room when a group of miscreants enters and questions them about their ability to understand Bengali. When one of the students responds that he cannot, the assailants begin to confront them aggressively, asserting that they shouldnt be taking exams in other states.Despite one of the students explaining that they were assigned to the Siliguri exam center, he was repeatedly pressured to show his identification. The group falsely claimed to be from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and continued to intimidate the youths.Police Action and InvestigationBiswachand Thakur, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Siliguri, confirmed that the Bagdogra police arrested the two suspects on Thursday evening following a complaint. “Based on the complaint, two individuals were arrested for threatening and harassing the youths while claiming to be IB officers. Further investigation is underway,” Thakur stated.A video was in circulation on social media where two persons claiming them as IB officers were seen assaulting and abusing two other persons in Siliguri. Those two persons have been identified, their claim of being the IB officers is fake and they have been arrested.— Siliguri Police Commissionerate (@SiliguriPolice) September 26, 2024The attack on the students has drawn significant backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has expressed serious concerns about the law and order situation in West Bengal under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees administration. Union Minister Giriraj Singh criticized the state government, stating, “Is there a red carpet for Rohingya Muslims in Bengal while Bihari children are beaten up for taking an exam Are these children not part of India Has the Mamata government contracted only to protect rapists”Chirag Paswan calls it Unfortunate and unacceptableUnion Minister Chirag Paswan also voiced his condemnation of the incident on social media, saying, “The brutal assault on Bihari students in West Bengal is both unfortunate and unacceptable. Once again, the Chief Minister has insulted Biharis, which cannot be tolerated. I ask Mamata Banerjee, is it a crime to take an exam in West Bengal Will opposition leaders remain silent”पश्चिम बंगाल में बिहारी छात्रों से बर्बरतापूर्ण मारपीट की खबर बेहद दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण और निंदनीय है। वहां की मुख्यमंत्री ने फिर एक बार बिहारियों का अपमान किया है, जिसे कतई बर्दाश्त नहीं किया जा सकता। मैं ममता बनर्जी जी से पूछना चाहता हूं कि क्या पश्चिम बंगाल में परीक्षा देना भी गुनाह… pic.twitter.com/r63phJkbcr— युवा बिहारी चिराग पासवान (@iChiragPaswan) September 26, 2024Paswan urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to ensure a thorough investigation and demanded “legal action” against those responsible. “I ask the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar how they can continue to support the Trinamool Congress after this incident. I request Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to investigate thoroughly and take legal action against the culprits,” Paswan wrote.
