BJP will have to implement CAA, NRC over my dead body: Mamata Banerjee
Kolkata/IBNS: Taking the country's ruling party head on, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will have to implement the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and National Register of Citizens (NRC) over her dead body holding a mega rally in central and north Kolkata on Monday.
Reaching the end point of her rally, which began at Dr. BR Ambedkar's statue in Maidan area at 1 pm, Mamata raised her voice to the highest pitch and said, "As long as I am alive, we will not implement NRC, CAB. They can dismiss our government if they want. We will not surrender."
"They will have to implement CAB and NRC in Bangla over my dead body. When we raised our voice against NRC, we were alone. Now other Chief Ministers are speaking out. I urge them to oppose CAB also," he added.
Refusing to accept the citizenship law as a law though it was passed by the both houses of Parliament, Mamata told her party MP from Kolkata Uttar Sudip Bandopadhyay, "Do not call it a law. We don't accept it. We will be straight cut."
Though West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Monday morning called Mamata's rally as "unconstitutional" in the backdrop of the violent protests witnessed by the state over the last few days, the Trinamool chief in her trademark aggressive style clearly stated, "We will continue to protest against the CAB (CAA) till the time it is not rolled back."
Urging all people to protest democratically and peacefully, Mamata said, "Do not burn trains. The Centre has cancelled all trains. Don't do things which create problems of common people."
Taking CAA and NRC in one bracket, Mamata said, "CAA and NRC are the two sides of a lollipop." "The BJP is trying to create a riot between Hindus and Muslims and gain advantage," she said.
Amid violent protests in the state, the government on Sunday evening curbed internet services in Malda, Murshidabad, Howrah, North 24 Pargana, South 24 Pargana districts.
The Trinamool chief has also condemned the Delhi Police's attack on Jamia Milia University students who were protesting against the CAA.
Mamata will hold two more rallies in south Kolkata on Tuesday and Howrah the day after as a protest against the CAA.
(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)
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