August 13, 2018
‘Are Hilsa, Jamdani also infiltrators?’ – Mamata Banerjee targets BJP Over Assam NRC
Attacking the BJP-led central government over exclusion of 40 lakh people in the final draft of Assam-NRC, Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the saffron party of being “anti-Bengali”.
Taking a swipe at the BJP, the Trinamool Congress chief asked if hilsa fish, Jamdani saree, sandesh and mishti doi, which are originally from East Bengal ( in undivided India), would also be branded as “infiltrators or refugees”.
Asserting that these 40 lakh people are “very much Indians”, she questioned the criteria on which they have been excluded.
The CM has been attacking the BJP government at the Centre over National Register for Citizens (NRC) which has excluded names of over 40 lakh citizens in the final draft for want of necessary documents in Assam.
“What is going on in the country is injustice. The BJP with their extremist ideology is trying to create division among the people. I think they are playing the politics of revenge among the countrymen. We are not for this kind of politics,” she said.
She accused the BJP of being “anti-Bengalis” and “anti-Bangla”.
They (the BJP) must not forget that speaking Bengali is not a crime. It is the fifth most spoken language in the world. What is BJP’s problem with Bangla? Are they scared of the intellect of the Bengalis, their culture. They must not forget that Bangla is the cultural mecca of the country,” she said.
