Kolkata, Aug 29 (Reuters) – The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), ideological mentor of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has cautioned party leaders against targeting Bengali-speaking workers in BJP-ruled states, warning that such moves could strengthen West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

According to people familiar with the matter, senior RSS leaders have privately conveyed to BJP’s central leadership that the harassment of Bengali migrant workers amounts to a “self-goal,” handing Banerjee political ammunition. They said the issue has already given the Trinamool Congress leader an opportunity to project herself as the protector of Bengali identity.

The concern is expected to feature in the RSS’s coordination meeting scheduled from Sept. 5-7 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be present, the people said. The organization, which has been expanding its grassroots presence in West Bengal in recent years, fears the incidents could hamper its outreach.

RSS leaders have also raised the matter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a senior federal minister, underscoring that no Indian citizen should be treated as an outsider for speaking Bengali. The Sangh believes action against illegal migrants should not spill over into hostility against lawful citizens, which risks alienating West Bengal’s electorate.

Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress has staged street protests over alleged assaults on Bengali workers in BJP-ruled states, accusing the ruling party of discrimination.