India
oi-Ashish Rana
A
late-night
attack
near
a
construction
site
has
left
a
young
migrant
labourer
dead,
setting
off
a
dispute
between
eyewitness
accounts
and
the
police
version
of
events.
Teen
Lynched
in
Odisha
A
young
migrant
worker
was
killed
near
a
construction
site,
sparking
a
dispute
between
eyewitnesses
and
police
regarding
the
cause
of
the
attack;
eyewitnesses
claim
the
attack
started
with
questions
about
identity,
while
the
police
suggest
a
personal
dispute.
Political
reactions
have
increased,
with
the
opposition
accusing
the
ruling
party
of
promoting
suspicion
against
migrants,
and
arrests
have
been
made.
The
killing
has
once
again
highlighted
the
fragile
security
faced
by
workers
who
travel
across
states
in
search
of
employment.
The
victim,
who
had
moved
from
his
home
state
for
daily-wage
work,
was
attacked
close
to
his
temporary
accommodation
and
later
died
in
hospital.
Witnesses
Point
to
Identity
Questioning
A
co-worker
who
was
injured
during
the
assault
said
the
confrontation
began
without
warning.
According
to
him,
a
small
group
approached
the
workers
while
they
were
resting
after
work
and
questioned
them
about
their
background.
“They
first
spoke
to
us
normally
and
then
asked
to
see
our
ID
cards,” the
worker
said.
He
alleged
that
the
exchange
quickly
turned
violent,
leaving
the
victim
with
severe
injuries.
Sequence
of
Events
at
Worksite
The
workers
were
staying
close
to
their
place
of
employment
and
had
settled
in
for
the
night
when
the
altercation
took
place.
Others
present
said
the
attack
unfolded
within
minutes,
giving
the
workers
little
chance
to
escape
or
seek
help.
Emergency
services
were
alerted,
and
the
injured
were
taken
to
hospital,
where
one
of
them
later
succumbed.
Police
Offer
Contrasting
Account
Police
officials
have
dismissed
suggestions
that
the
attack
was
linked
to
identity
or
migration.
According
to
investigators,
the
violence
was
the
result
of
a
personal
dispute
that
escalated
unexpectedly.
Officers
said
the
individuals
involved
were
known
to
each
other
and
that
there
was
no
evidence,
at
this
stage,
of
a
targeted
attack
against
migrant
workers.
Political
Row
Intensifies
The
incident
has
also
triggered
political
reactions,
with
opposition
leaders
accusing
the
ruling
party
of
promoting
suspicion
against
migrants.
They
have
demanded
accountability
and
stronger
protections
for
inter-state
labourers.
Authorities
confirmed
that
arrests
have
been
made
and
said
the
investigation
is
ongoing.The
Mamata
Banerjee-led
Trinamool
Congress
has
blamed
the
Bharatiya
Janata
Party
for
fuelling
suspicion
against
Bengali-speaking
migrants.
“The
lynching
of
a
Bengali
migrant
worker
in
Sambalpur
is
the
direct
outcome
of
@BJP4India’s
sustained
campaign
against
Bengalis.
A
citizen
of
India
was
beaten
to
death
because
a
mob
believed
the
lie
that
Bengalis
are
infiltrators
who
must
constantly
prove
their
right
to
exist,” the
party
said
in
a
post
on
X.
Following the brutal lynching of innocent Bengali migrant worker Juyel Rana in Sambalpur, our local leadership visited his grieving family in Murshidabad to stand beside them in this moment of unimaginable loss.
His death is part of a disturbing pattern where Bengali migrant… pic.twitter.com/OBHzVljORT
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) December 25, 2025“>
“For
years,
BJP
leaders
have
deliberately
branded
Bengali-speaking
Indians
as
infiltrators,
outsiders,
and
suspects.
That
poisonous
narrative
has
now
reached
the
streets,
where
anyone
feels
empowered
to
act
as
immigration
officers
and
executioners,” it
added.
