Barasat (WB), Mar 12 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday stepped up her attack on the BJP-led government at the Centre over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, claiming that the notified rules were “ambiguous, unconstitutional and discriminatory”.
Addressing an official programme at Habra in North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee claimed that the CAA was merely a precursor to implementing the National Register of Citizens across the country and declared that her pledge to resist NRC implementation in Bengal was the trigger to opposing the Act which was implemented on Monday.
“I urge the people to think several times before applying for citizenship under the law. That’s because the rules provide no clarity on what happens to the status of existing citizens once they make a fresh application. I apprehend that existing citizens would automatically be first designated as illegal immigrants and then left at the mercy of the committee to grant them citizenship afresh,” she said.
“Those not found qualified would be sent to detention camps. It’s a ploy to snatch away citizenship rights, not granting them one,” she claimed, maintaining that she took legal opinions on the matter before reaching this conclusion.
The chief minister was perceptively referring to Muslim immigrants who already enjoyed citizenship status in the country.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to evict Christians, Muslims, Namasudras and Bengalis from this country which I won’t allow. It’s a ploy to divide Bengal,” she alleged.
Banerjee, incidentally, was speaking on a day the Union home ministry announced the launch of a new portal for people applying for citizenship under CAA-2019, less than 24 hours after it notified the implementation of the Act by framing its rules.
The rules paved the way for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.
On Monday, even before the CAA rules were officially notified, Banerjee had stated that she would fiercely oppose CAA if she found it to be discriminatory against groups of people living in India and if it curtailed their existing citizenship rights in any manner.
“I have serious doubts if the CAA rules notified yesterday have legal validity,” she said at Habra.
“The CAA and the rules framed are unconstitutional, and discriminatory under Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to equality,” Banerjee said in justification, claiming that the Centre was “bluffing” over providing citizenship.
“I will be happy if a person gets the (citizenship) rights, but if anyone is deprived I will provide him shelter,” she said, asserting that she will not allow anyone to be “thrown out”.
The rules provided no clarity on the status of existing assets and properties of such disqualified applicants and whether those will be confiscated, Banerjee said while asserting that the Act remained silent about the status of SCs, STs and OBCs.
“What about those who came to India in 2015 or later?” she asked.
Referring to the NRC experience in Assam, the Trinamool chief said, “The exercise was carried out in 2019 and over 13.5 lakh Bengali Hindus were stripped off their citizenship status.” Accusing the BJP of making false promises before polls, Banerjee asked, “Would you submit your fate in the hands of this party?” “Throw this law away and live peacefully in Bengal. No one can touch you as long as I am around,” she declared.
Rubbishing Banerjee’s claims, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar accused her of “misleading” people.
“The chief minister is not speaking the truth. There’s not even a one per cent possibility of deserving people not getting citizenship.” “Every person with legitimate claims for citizenship will get citizenship within two years,” he said, and added, “If that doesn’t happen, then I will do sit-ups before the CM.” PTI AMR SUS SMY NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.