BANGAON: Prime Minister of West Bengal Mamata banerjee on Wednesday he stated that his government will not allow the implementation of the National Registry of Citizens (NRC) or the National Population Registry (NPR) in the state.
Maintaining that all residents of the state are citizens of the country and no one can change that, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of trying to play divisive politics using the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Addressing a public meeting here in the North 24 Parganas district, bordering Bangladesh, she said: “I, as Chief Minister, say that you are citizens and no one can change that. We will not allow NRC or NPR.”
Banerjee also claimed that these are the BJP’s tactic to drive people out of the state.
The BJP’s national secretary general and in charge of West Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya, said last week that the CAA is likely to be implemented from January next year as the Center wishes to grant citizenship to the large refugee population in West Bengal.
In courting the Matua community, which has considerable influence over a number of assembly constituencies in northern 24 Parganas and the neighboring district of Nadia, Banerjee said a large number of development programs have been adopted for the community. .
“We will not allow Bengal to become Gujarat,” said the supreme of TMC, claiming that the BJP has destroyed the country through its “divisive policy.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced three laws against the interests of farmers to allow companies to take their products at will, Banerjee alleged.
He also alleged that the BJP-led government in the Center has allowed the hoarding of potatoes, onions, and other necessary foods by removing them from the list of essential products leading to a price increase.
The prime minister accused the BJP of making false accusations for providing monetary relief to the victims of Cyclone Amphan.
“Just because one or two elements did some damage, you (BJP) are looking for Amphan’s accounts. How much money have you given to ask for it?” she said.
The Calcutta High Court recently ordered the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to audit the relief related to Cyclone Amphan amid allegations of wrongdoing.
“The prime minister made a dramatic visit to Basirhat (after the cyclone) for publicity and announced Rs 1,000 crore (as a relief). It is our money that he has simply sent in advance,” he said, stating that the central government has only given the money of what is owed to the state.
She questioned how the Center holds accountable when it is the state government that is building roads and providing people with electricity, potable water and other facilities.
“The central government is denying the state its GST compensation quotas,” he said, while maintaining that the TMC dispensation is going ahead with various development schemes in the state despite its tight financial position.
“Despite this financial situation, I am giving a lot to people. If someone else can do the same, I will resign the same day,” Banerjee said.
A small section of people waving placards with their written demands during the meeting urged people not to hurt her.
“If you hurt me, sometimes I feel like maybe I shouldn’t stay (in the post of chief ministers), they don’t want me,” said an emotional Banerjee.
He urged them not to raise placards with demands at their meetings. “You can always write to me and I will discuss your problems,” said the prime minister.
Mamata Banerjee said that of the 10 million million inhabitants of the state, 9.5 million million are beneficiaries of the plans of her government.
He claimed that the BJP government in the Center is selling and privatizing banks, railways, defense, Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and coal mines.
“The central government buys only 70,000 metric tons of rice from West Bengal farmers, while buying much more from various other states,” the prime minister said, accusing him of partisan behavior.
She said her government purchases 45 lakh metric tons of rice from farmers in the state to provide adequate support.
Claiming that the BJP has brought outsiders into the state, going door-to-door to wage divisive campaigns, Banerjee said the saffron party has divided the “Matua family” through its divisive policies.
The NRC and CAA had led to a sharp split within Matua Mahasangha, a supreme body of the Hindu refugee sect, with one group supporting the TMC and another supporting the BJP.
Keeping to his words, he said: “I am not like the BJP who makes promises before the election, but runs away after.”
He said that 10 million rupees were approved for community development and assured them that a holiday would be announced on the anniversary of the birth of founder Harichand Thakur, the founder of the Matua sect.
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