Leading a march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the city for the fourth time since December 16, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted on Thursday that peaceful protests will continue as long as the law is not withdrawn.
Before leading the march from Rajabazar to Mullick Bazar, the Trinamool Congress chairperson warned the BJP-led governments not to use force against students protesting against the CAA. She also appealed to the students to continue their movement on the issue without bowing down to threats and repression.
“We express our solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia, IIT-Kanpur and other universities who are protesting against the CAA and the NRC [National Register of Citizens],” she said. The protesting students are adults and voters, Ms. Banerjee said. “So if they stage any protest, where is the harm in it? They have a role to play,” she said, suggesting they use the social media to unite the people.
“In BJP-ruled States such as Uttar Pradesh, force is being used on students. I would like to tell the BJP, don’t try to muzzle the movement through force. If anybody tries to terrorise people, use brute force, then the people of the country, of Bengal, will not support that,” said the Chief Minister.
Ms. Banerjee said her party stands by the families that have lost their loved ones during the anti-CAA protest. Earlier this month, the TMC sent a delegation to Uttar Pradesh but the members were not allowed outside Lucknow airport.
(With inputs from PTI)
