Agitation will continue till govt scraps CAA: Mamata
KOLKATA: After requesting people in Bengal’s Muslim-dominated districts not to burn trains and buses and destroy government property as they protested the passage of t he Citizenship Amendment Act, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was paying some people to create the unrest so that Muslims could be isolated.
Banerjee was addressing a rally at the end of her first road show against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) where she declared that the mass agitation would continue till the union government scraps CAA and idea for a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC). She dubbed these “kaala kanoon” (dark laws).
Banerjee led a procession in central Kolkata organised by her party the All India Trinamool Congress.
The state-wide stir against CAA entered its fourth day on Monday and was marked by fresh incidents of arson. The BJP countered by taking out pro-caa rallies in Kolkata, and dared Banerjee to prove her allegation.
Not specifically mentioning Muslims and Hindus, Banerjee said: “Some people from your side as well as some from our side have stooped before the BJP and have taken money from its leaders to create arson. By our people I do not mean my party.”
“We, the Hindus, are with you. If Muslims are in trouble, Hindus will protect them. We don’t divide people. But I am repeatedly requesting you not to set trains, buses and post offices on fire. The Centre has stopped running trains. This is causing immense inconvenience to common people. Students and office-goers are facing trouble. This is tourist season and also a time when marriages take place,” she added. Most Hindu marriages take place in December and January following the almanac.
“Our agitation will continue till such time the Citizenship Act and NRC are not withdrawn by the Centre. We will hit the streets. Having majority in Parliament does not allow anyone to frame laws that are unconstitutional,” said the chief minister, adding that CAA would be implemented only “over her dead body” in the state. .
BJP leaders reacted sharply to her allegations. “Banerjee should first tell the people of Bengal how many people have been arrested and how many police cases were filed in the last three days. We dare her to arrest the perpetrators of violence within 48 hours and prove that they took money from the BJP,” said state BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu.
At the rally, where she mostly spoke in Hindi, Banerjee advised agitators to start a signature campaign as a peaceful form of protest and write millions of letters to the President of India.
“I am being advised to seek assistance from central police forces (to quell the violence). We have faith in our police force. They can do their job. They (BJP) used to say that Mamata is alone. Today you will see many states have decided not to implement citizenship law,” said Banerjee.
She will lead similar processions in south Kolkata and Howrah on Tuesday and Wednesday.