"They Want To Divide People": Mamata Banerjee Slams BJP On Citizenship Act

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre and the BJP today over the Citizenship Amendment Act and the "use of central agencies". Addressing a rally of party workers in North 24 Parganas district, Ms Banerjee said while the INDIA alliance will be in rest of the country, in Bengal "it will only be the Trinamool Congress that would take on BJP," putting to rest speculation on whether the party will go for seat sharing in Bengal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Kolkata yesterday, said no one can stop the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, law the Trinamool Congress is opposed to.

"At times, she tries to mislead the people, the refugees, whether CAA will be at all implemented in the country or not. I want to say this clearly that CAA is the law of the land and no one can stop its implementation. This is the commitment of our party," he said.

But Ms Banerjee again accused the party of "misleading" the people.  

"As for citizenship, remember, all of you are the citizens of this country," Ms Banerjee said, pointing to the free ration PAN, Aadhaar and health cards they have received.

"Previously, the citizenship card was the responsibility of the District Magistrates, but the same has been taken away now only for politics. They want to divide people. They want to give it (citizenship) to someone and deny others. If one (community) is getting citizenship, the other (community) should also get it. This discrimination is wrong," the Chief Minister said.

"Those who came [to Bengal] from Bangladesh till 1971 and even after that, they live in colonies and we are giving out pattas to all those colonies under the name Chirosthaayi Thikana. We are giving pattas to all so that they don't have to live like refugees," she added.

The CAA – passed in 2019 -- seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who had entered India on or before December 31, 2014, making religion a key factor for citizenship for the first time.

Critics say the bill discriminates against Muslims and violates secular tenets of the Constitution.

In 2020, Bengal passed a resolution against the CAA, becoming the fourth state to do so. "In Bengal, we won't allow CAA, NPR, and NRC," Mamata Banerjee had declared.