Like she did during the implementation of National Register for Citizens in Assam, Mamata Banerjee on Monday cried out against the proposed Citizen’s Amendment Bill calling it a “trap” laid down by the BJP to target the Bengali-speaking population — Hindus and Muslims — and implicated All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asauddin Owaisi for conspiring with the saffron outfit to vitiate the political climate of Bengal.
Like it did in Assam where it implemented NRC to throw out lakhs of Bengalis from that State the Centre was
planning to introduce CAB as a “trap” which it would use against the Bengali people, she said.
Addressing a meeting at North Bengal town of Coochbehar bordering Assam, Banerjee said, “Let me tell you that the Centre is bringing Citizen’s Amendment Bill which is another trap like NRC to cast out the Bengalis from the list of legal citizens and make them refugees in their own country.”
She asked, “Where is a need of granting new citizenship to people when there are enough documents like land deeds, voter cards, ration cards, driving license, birth certificates, Kanyashree and other government documents,” asking the people to remain alert and united against the BJP’ nefarious designs.
The Centre proposes to bring the CAB in the Winter Session of Parliament. The Bill proposes to grant citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians who had migrated from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh provided they have already spent seven years in India.
In the wake of alleged faulty implementation of NRC in Assam that omitted the names of more than 19 lakh people from citizenship register a possible implementation of NRC in Bengal had created a panic claiming 11 lives in the state during the past two months.
Though she would not name any Hyderabad leader openly Banerjee apparently opened a new battle front against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief and MP Asauddin Owaisi calling his party an “agent” of the BJP that had conspired with the saffron outfit to destroy the healthy political climate of Bengal.
Aware that the MIM was expanding its activities in the State which has about 30 Muslim votes, Banerjee said, “some minority groups from Hyderabad are taking money from the BJP with an offer to protect them. But I ask you not to fall in their trap because they are coming here to divide you and help the BJP.”
She however would not take anyone’s name.
Attacking the BJP for doing nothing and ruining the economy of the country she said Banerjee “before the elections the BJP leaders had come here with a pledge to nationalize 9 tea gardens but they forgot their promises. Let alone taking over the tea gardens the BJP Government is selling away Air India, BSNL, Indian Railways, Ordinance Factories and many other public sector units.”
Lambasting the Narendra Modi Government for ransacking the country’s economy through impulsive steps like demonetization Banerjee said, “look what has happened to the Indian economy. The prices are up, production is down, riots are up and job creation is down, hatred is up and rupee is down.”
She called upon the people of Bengal to “unite against the BJP and its two other friends the CPI(M) and Congress who have conspired against the TMC but will miserably fail in their designs.” The BJP will be defeated she said referring to the 2021 Assembly elections and said “the BJP will not be allowed to win as many seats as they won in the Lok Sabha polls by unleashing their goons. We will unite and throw out BJP, CPI(M) and Congress from the State.”