BJP president Amit Shah said in Kolkata on Saturday that no matter "however hard Mamata Banerjee tries," she cannot stop the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam and the government would ensure that the process wascompleted in a judicious manner.
Mr. Shah, who was addressing a rally of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), accused the Trinamool Congress chairperson of creating confusion regarding the NRC in West Bengal.
"The Government of India will ensure that those who seek asylum will be allowed to stay here," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, brought by the BJP-led government has provisions to provide citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians who have come from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
He referred to Ms Banerjee’s opposition to “illegal infiltration” in 2005 and alleged that she had taken a U-turn, as the “infiltrators” were now voting for the Trinamool Congress.
“Mamataji, you will have to make your stand clear before the people of the State, whether you are for infiltrators or for national security,” he said.
The BJP chief gave a call to remove the Trinamool Congress from power in the State. “The BJP has governments in 19 States… These States do not matter as long as the party does not have a government in the land of its founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee,” he said.
People of Bengal, who had given a chance to the Congress, the Communists and the Trinamool Congress to form governments, should give an opportunity to the BJP to rule, he said.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress leadership observed a ''black day'' in protest against the NRC and took out rallies in different parts of the State.
Black flag protest
Earlier, some West Bengal Youth Congress workers on Saturday showed black flags as Mr. Shah stepped outside the airport in Kolkata ahead of his high-voltage rally in the city.
A group of bike-borne workers waved black flags before Mr. Shah’s convoy outside the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport and shouted slogans against him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before the police could remove them from the spot.
Some Congress activists claimed that there was a nexus between the BJP and West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and raised slogans like “Modi-Didi bhai bhai”.
Ahead of Mr. Shah’s rally in central Kolkata’s Mayo Road, Trinamool Congress supporters observed a ''condemnation day'' in parts of the State to raise the paety's pitch against the publication of the draft NRC in Assam.
Supriyo slams Mamata
Reacting to the TMC protest, BJP leader and Union Minister Babul Supriyo accused the Chief Minister and her party of destroying the State’s culture and the future of Bengal’s youth.
“Politics is fine but they [Trinamool Congress] are turning it into an ugly spat. The Trinamool has further worsened the situation in Bengal in the name of ‘Poriborton’ [change] from the 34 years of Left rule.
“This should not continue. The massive turnout in today’s rally shows that the youth of Bengal are eagerly waiting for the message of Amit Shahji,” said Mr. Supriyo, who came to the city to attend the rally.
A flop show, says TMC
The Trinamool Congress termed Mr. Shah's rally a “flop show” and refuted the charge that the TV coverage of his meeting was blacked out due to pressure from the ruling party.
Mr. Shah criticised the TMC for ''blacking out'' the news channels that covered his programme. “You can black out channels, but our BJP workers will carry my message to every corner of the State,” he said at the rally.
Refuting the charge, the TMC said in a statement, “The BJP has just concluded another flop show in #Bangla. After the flop meeting, the BJP is looking for excuses. They are saying their meeting was blacked out. Blackouts and blackmailing are what the BJP do. Do not insult the media. All showed. We challenge BJP. Either they prove it or resign”.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)