Kolkata: 4 students assaulted, called ‘Bangladeshis’ for speaking in Bengali

Four students from Calcutta University were allegedly assaulted near the Sealdah railway station in Kolkata and called “Bangladeshis” for speaking in Bengali on Wednesday, The Hindu reported.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, The Times of India reported.

The alleged incident took place when one of the students, a resident of the university’s Carmichael Hostel, visited a shop under the Sealdah bridge in the city to buy mobile accessories.

The student alleged that his attempt to bargain with the vendor intensified into an argument. The shopkeeper then allegedly called him a “Bangladeshi” for speaking in Bengali, according to The Hindu.

The student left the shop and returned with three of his friends to protest, The Times of India reported. However, the seller, along with other shopkeepers, allegedly assaulted the four students.

The students were subsequently taken to the Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Elius Akhtar, one of the injured students, told The Times of India that the four of them asked the seller to apologise.

“But he was not ready to do so and asked us to speak in Hindi,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “We refused, saying this is Bengal where we speak in Bangla. He started using abusive language towards us, calling us Bangladeshis, while other hawkers joined in.”

Akhtar alleged that when the four students tried to return to...

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