New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (August 29) asked the Union government to clarify if there is a bias against Bengali-speaking “as a presumption of being a foreigner” while hearing a PIL against the detention of Muslim workers from West Bengal over suspicion of being Bangladeshi citizens.A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi was hearing a PIL filed by the West Bengal Migrant Workers Welfare Board, that said that following an MHA order in May, state authorities were picking up Bengali-speaking migrant labourers, detaining them on suspicion of being Bangladeshi.The bench while acknowledging that the issue of illegal infiltration asked the Union government to clarify whether authorities were using a “particular language” as a “presumption of the speaker being a foreigner.”“Certain bias in respect of the exercise of the powers by authorities is sought to be demonstrated in the petition, namely the use of a particular language being a presumption of being a foreigner. Whether at all this is correct, if you could clarify that…,” Justice Bagchi was quoted as saying by LiveLaw.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, responded to Justice Kant by saying that is not the case and the government is addressing the issue of illegal immigrants.“You give us the SOP they follow. There are persons who are trying to enter, forcing them back, there should not be any difficulty. But those who are presumed to have entered at one point of time, and now you are sending them back, for them maybe the first question will be to show proof that you are an Indian citizen,” said Justice Kant.Justice Bagchi also said that the matter involves sensitive issues of national security but also pointed to common heritage in Bengal and Punjab.“There are questions of national security, integrity of nation…preservation of our resources…at the same time, we have a legacy of common heritage…In Bengal and Punjab, language is same, border divides us. We want Union to clarify,” he said.The bench called for a response from the Union government in a week. It has also issued notice on an interim application filed by the petitioners seeking to restrain the authorities from deporting any person without first ascertaining their citizenship.