Mamata Banerjee calls migrant worker’s death in Pune an outcome of ‘hate crime’

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal condemned the death of 24-year-old Bengali migrant worker Sukhen Mahato in Pune, Maharashtra, calling it a "hate crime." The incident follows a surge in attacks on Bengali migrants across India and has prompted calls for justice from Banerjee, who has linked the violence to xenophobia. Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, will visit Mahato's family in Purulia. The death has sparked outrage and accusations of targeted harassment against Bengali-speaking migrant workers following a 2025 notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to identify Bangladeshi nationals.