Raking up the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a section of media for creating tension and claimed that six persons had died in the State due to fear of NRC.
“I am extremely sad that in Bengal six persons have died due to fear of NRC,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a gathering of members of the trade union wing of Trinamool Congress.
The Chief Minister said that what the BJP leaders were saying was part of their political agenda but the media “keeps doing shows after shows on that one thing to heighten tensions among the masses”.
“And this has caused six people to die. I have already requested the media that we should not indulge in any provocation,” she said.
The Chief Minister asked the people to have faith in her and categorically ruled out any exercise of NRC in Bengal. “NRC will take place neither in Bengal nor in any other part of the country,” she said, urging people to update their names in the voters’ list. Earlier this month, a resolution was passed in the State Assembly against the NRC and the Chief Minister had taken to the streets on the issue. Ms. Banerjee had also raised the issue of NRC during her meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
During the day, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee visited the family members of a person who has allegedly committed suicide over fears surrounding NRC. Mr. Banerjee met the family of Kalachand Midya, who died on Sunday.
BJP’s State president Dilip Ghosh said that no Hindu will be forced to leave the country and that the TMC was creating fear among the people on the issue.
“No Hindu will have to leave the country. We are bringing Citizenship Amendment Bill, which will give Hindus citizenship rights. They are trying to scare Hindus who have come to Bengal as refugees,” Mr. Ghosh said in Kharagpur.
