Puri, September 7: A migrant worker from Katwa, West Bengal, Tarzan Sheikh, alleged that he was brutally beaten by a mob in Odisha last Sunday, simply for speaking Bengali, and was insulted as a ‘Bangladeshi’. Sheikh, who is currently undergoing treatment for a broken hand, filed a complaint at Katwa police station on Friday.

For the past five years, Sheikh has been working as a street vendor in Jaleshwar, Odisha, selling steel utensils on his bicycle while residing in the Rajpur area. According to him, the attack occurred near the Lakmandihi area when some people asked him about his residence in the Odia language. When Sheikh replied in Bengali and showed his Aadhaar and voter ID to prove his identity, the mob declared his documents fake and began assaulting him. During the attack, his savings of INR 6,000 were also stolen. Sheikh narrowly escaped with his life and returned to his hometown the next day. Kolkata: 4 Calcutta University Students Attacked at Sealdah for Speaking Bengali; Branded As Bangladeshis by Hindi-Speaking Traders.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) condemned the incident and blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for spreading hatred. The party stated, “How long will the country tolerate BJP’s politics of hate and division? A young street vendor in Odisha was beaten in broad daylight just for speaking Bengali. BJP-backed goons labeled him ‘Bangladeshi,’ broke his hand, stole his earnings, and stripped him of his dignity.” TMC added that such incidents reflect cultural intolerance and the humiliation of linguistic identity. Kolkata Shocker: Man Detained for Beating His Mother to Death in West Bengal's Beliaghata Area.

Local police confirmed receipt of the complaint and have launched an investigation into the matter.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2025 01:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).