Will agitate until CAA, NRC are withdrawn: Bengal CM

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

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 the amended citizenship 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.

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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.

“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,” Banerjee said.

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.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government to file a report on action taken on the law and order situation and governor Jagdeep Dhankhar called upon Banerjee to brief him on Tuesday.

“I am extremely anguished that CM and ministers are to spearhead rally against CAA, law of the land. This is unconstitutional. I call upon CM to desist from this unconstitutional and inflammatory act at this juncture and devote to retrieve the grim situation,” Dhankhar tweeted.

In a letter to the governor, Banerjee said,“The constitutional obligation in my view is to support the state government machinery to maintain peace and harmony rather than aggravating the situation by provoking the elements who may attempt to disturb the order and tranquility. Please cooperate to maintain peace.”

In his reply, Dhankhar wrote, “I have taken note of your communication with deep pain and anguish and am surprised at the unwarranted tangential approach you have adopted therein. Your reflections are far from fact situations and would urge you to engage in soul searching.”