4 min readKolkataMay 15, 2026 07:05 AM IST First published on: May 15, 2026 at 07:05 AM ISTWith the strengthening of the BJP and Hindutva politics over the past decade, another feature of West Bengal politics has been the strengthening of Bengali identity politics, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also raising the slogan of “Bengali asmita (pride)” in the recent campaign. However, more than the TMC, it is a little-known, marginal outfit called Bangla Pokkho that has led the charge on issues of linguistic pride and protection of Bengali culture, with its campaign against non-Bengalis often bordering on prejudice.Earlier this week, the outfit was in focus yet again after the Kolkata Police arrested its co-founder, Garga Chatterjee, for allegedly spreading misinformation about electronic voting machines (EVMs) before the recent Assembly elections, based on a complaint from the Election Commission (EC). Chatterjee was arrested on Tuesday and was sent to police custody till May 16.AdvertisementOn the day of the first phase of voting on April 23 and on results day on May 4, Chatterjee had raised concerns about alleged EVM tampering and accused the EC of carrying out a “secret plan” in social media posts. Flagging Chatterjee’s social media posts, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand said, “This caused different perceptions among political parties and also created confusion.” The police had sent Chatterjee two notices asking him to appear for questioning, but his failure to appear before the authorities led to his arrest, the police officer said.Chatterjee completed his MBBS degree from Kolkata Medical College and holds a PhD from Harvard University in the cognition, brain and behavior track at the Vision Sciences Lab. He then completed his postdoctoral training at the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) between 2011 and 2014. From 2012 to 2013, he was also a lecturer at Lesley University in Massachusetts and since 2014, he has been a faculty member at the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata.This is not the first time Kolkata Police has arrested Chatterjee. In August 2022, he was arrested for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Assamese people and promoting enmity between communities. The arrest was made on the orders of the Gauhati High Court after an FIR was filed against him for allegedly making objectionable remarks about a ruler of the Ahom dynasty.AdvertisementChatterjee founded Bangla Pokkho in 2019 along with Kaushik Maity, an engineer by profession, and others in 2019 to advocate for Bengalis and the Bengali language and often prioritise the Bengali language and Bengalis over other languages and communities in the state. During the recent Assembly elections, Chatterjee urged people to vote for either the Trinamool Congress (TMC) or the Left, but not the BJP, labelling it a party of “outsiders”.you may like“We are fighting for Bengalis’ rights. Our demand is in West Bengal, all governmental work should be done in Bengali. In our education system, learning of the Bengali language should be compulsory. Like Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and many other states, Bengali youths should get preference in jobs,” Maity told The Indian Express.In recent years, Bangla Pokkho has called for, among other things, mandatory Bengali signboards at shops. Last month, the organisation submitted a memorandum to then state Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak demanding security for the migrant Bengali labour. Bangla Pokkho also demanded that Bengalis hold senior administrative positions, including Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Kolkata Police Commissioner, and Director General of West Bengal Police.After the R G Kar rape-murder case, the outfit came out to protest and claimed that the perpetrator, Sanjay Ray, was from a neighbouring state. It also questioned how the accused found employment in a state-run hospital.