Lending her support to the students’ protest across the country against the amended Citizenship Act, the state chief minister wondered why they cannot have the right to protest when they can vote to elect a government on turning 18.
(Image: Twitter/@MamataOfficial)
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today made it clear that her government would in no way be involved in carrying out the process of putting in place “detention camps” in the state nor would it undertake the process of “National Population Register” (NPR) as dictated by the Central government. Miss Banerjee said that as long as she is alive the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in the state and there will be no detention centre in it.
None can take away the rights of the people of the country, like citizenship, the Trinamul Congress chief said while inaugurating the Naihati festival at Naihati in North 24-Parganas. Referring to the state government’s decision to put on hold the National Population Register, Miss Banerjee said: “We did not realise their (BJP’s) intent initially. But when we got to know that it is linked to singling out bonafide citizens of the country, we stopped the exercise in Bengal. We will not do anything which will pose a danger to people.”
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Lending her support to the students’ protest across the country against the amended Citizenship Act, the state chief minister wondered why they cannot have the right to protest when they can vote to elect a government on turning 18. “Why can’t students protest against a draconian law? The Centre is taking action against protesting students and is rusticating them from universities,” she said. Miss Banerjee said “As long as I am alive CAA will not be implemented in Bengal. No one has to leave the country or the state. There will not be any detention centre in Bengal.”
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Hitting out at the proposed national register of citizens, she questioned why people will have to prove their citizenship once again. “Citizenship means having your name in the voter’s list, citizenship means having papers like driving licence and bank document. Then why will people have to submit fresh proof of their citizenship once more?”
Iterating that no detention camps will be allowed in Bengal, Miss Banerjee said: “You have to bear in mind that are to be implemented by the state government. The detention camps in Assam are there because the state government there had implemented it. That won’t materialise here.” Alleging that the Centre is trying to create divisions among other backward caste communities, Miss Banerjee said that it is pitting Matuas, Namasudras, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes against one another.
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