A fresh controversy has erupted between West Bengal and Assam after a notice from the Assam Foreigners Tribunal was reportedly sent to the office of the elected Panchayat Pradhan of Mathabhanga’s Hazrahat-2 Gram Panchayat in Cooch Behar. The notice summons the Panchayat head to Nalbari district in Assam for verification of a citizenship certificate issued years ago in a NRC-related case.
The case in question dates back to 2015, when Minati Roy, originally from Cooch Behar, got married in Nalbari, Assam. After settling there, she came under suspicion of being a foreign national. A notice was issued against her on suspicion of being Bangladeshi.
During the process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), she collected various documents, including a citizenship certificate from her paternal home’s Panchayat in Cooch Behar. Although her name was eventually included in the NRC, she filed a case citing a spelling error, which led to the tribunal now demanding a verification of the Panchayat-issued certificate.
Rampad Roy, Minati's son, said he recently presented a copy of the tribunal’s notice to Hazrahat-2 Gram Panchayat Chief Bimana Barman. However, Barman claims he has not received any official communication yet. "If I get the notice, I will consult with the Block Development Officer (BDO) and other officials before taking any decision," he said.
The notice reportedly mandates that the Panchayat head must be present in Nalbari, Assam, on or before August 27 with all relevant documents.
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Deputy panchayat chief Asif Ali criticised the move, questioning the legality and intent of such a summons. “Why is our pradhan being asked to go to Assam now for documents we issued years ago? This appears to be a deliberate attempt to harass an elected representative. It is a conspiracy by the Assam government,” he alleged.
The incident has stirred significant political backlash in West Bengal, with the Trinamool Congress denouncing the notice as an attack on Bengal’s sovereignty. “Is Bengal now under Assam? How can an elected Gram Pradhan be summoned like this? It is unconstitutional,” a TMC leader said.
Party leaders further alleged that the act is a clear attempt to target Bengali-speaking citizens under the guise of citizenship verification.
“This is a dangerous precedent. If other state governments start summoning our elected representatives, what remains of our federal structure?” asked the TMC leader, adding, “We see this as a deliberate effort to intimidate Bengalis and undermine the dignity of Bengal.”
The incident has sparked concern among local residents, who fear a possible misuse of administrative channels to challenge the identity and authority of their elected representatives.
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