On the day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a rally in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Kolkata, Trinamool Congress chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Chief Ministers of Opposition-ruled States saying that people of different sections, including minorities, are in fear and panic over the CAA.
BJP working president J.P. Nadda, who led the “abhinandan yatra” from Hind Cinema to Shyambazar in north Kolkata, said that Ms. Banerjee has always put more emphasis on “vote bank politics over national interest.” Citing the Trinamool’s opposition to revoking of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, triple talaq and CAA, Mr. Nadda said the party has always indulged in “appeasement.”
“The citizens of the country irrespective of caste and creed, particularly the women and children, farmers, workers and members of scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, OBC and minorities are in the grip of fear and panic over CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC. The situation is very serious,” Ms. Banerjee said in the letter.
A senior official of the State government said the letter was written not in her official capacity of Chief Minister but as Trinamool Congress chairperson.
Addressing the gathering at the end of the BJP rally, Mr. Nadda tried to dispel fears over the CAA. “This Act is to give citizenship not to take citizenship from anyone,” he said, adding that people from matua community will get citizenship as per the Act.
“ Mamata ji is opposed to everything,” he said, adding that as Health Minister, he wanted to implement the Ayushman Bharat Scheme which could not be implemented in the State because of her opposition.
Referring to the violence during CAA protests, he said that Ms. Banerjee appealed to protesters when she should have taken stern action against them. “She has not even condemned the violence,” he said. The BJP working president was joined by senior BJP leaders, including West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya in the rally.
In the letter, Ms. Banerjee appealed for Opposition unity and said that leaders of all parties opposing CAA must work together. “ Protests are being organised by Opposition parties wherever they have a meaningful presence. I appeal to all of you that at this juncture let us all work together. Opposition unity must be on one platform,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee accused the ruling party at the Centre of bulldozing the democratic movement by using State machineries and said, “We need to rise against this draconian regime in a united manner.” She appealed for a “meaningful opposition” to save “India’s democratic soul.”
Earlier in the day rallies were organised by the students wing of Left parties in the city and by the Trinamool in the suburbs against the contentious Act.
