Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that the people of Bengal were being misled about the National Civil Register (NRC), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned the people of the state against divisive politics and said that it works in the state Will not do.
“Everyone is welcome to our state and enjoy the hospitality of our people. But please don’t profess any divisive politics … It will not work in Bengal. Please don’t spread the religion of divisive politics. Please don’t create rift among people. Bengal is known to respect leaders of different faiths for ages. This can never be spoilt,” PTI quoted her as saying at the inauguration of a community puja in south Kolkata.
Without referring to Shah, the Trinamool Congress chief said people of different faiths in Bengal practice their respective religions but come together to celebrate the state’s biggest festival- Durga Puja – which unifies people of different faiths.
Earlier in the day, an event called the NRC-Jagran Abhiyan in Kolkata, Shah had said, “People of Bengal are being misled about the NRC … I assure all Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain refugees that they won’t have to leave the country … They will get Indian citizenship and enjoy all the rights of an Indian national when the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is passed in Parliament.”
Shah also said all infiltrators would be pushed out of the country.
An earlier attempt by the central government to push the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill came to nought after it failed table the bill in the Rajya Sabha. The bill lapsed in March.
The BJP accused Banerjee of voting in favor of infiltrators in Bengal. The TMC in turn accused the BJP of polarizing voters on religious grounds.
Banerjee said that there is no need for NRC in Bengal. During a meeting with Shah in New Delhi last month, he raised the NRC issue in Assam and said that no Indian should be put in difficulties.
