March 3, 2020
Their job is to set fire and ours, to douse them: Mamata Banerjee
A benefits-giving programme was held in Kaliaganj, Uttar Dinajpur today. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave away benefits to thousands of people.
She also addressed a public meeting, whose highlights are given below:
I salute your guts that you have defeated the BJP even after their winning the Lok Sabha election. We won’t let the people suffer in any way.
All of you are citizens of this country as you have ration cards and voter identity cards. You don’t need to prove anything else. Don’t be misled by the BJP.
Those who came over from Bangladesh also got citizenship. You have chosen the prime ministers, chief ministers, MLA, MPs and others. Therefore, you all are citizens. No one will throw you out.
To my Rajbanshi brothers and sisters, let me tell you that those of you who are 60 and older but don’t get pension, you will get it.
For you, we have set up the Rajbanshi Academy and Panchanan Barma University, published books in Rajbanshi, given recognition to Rajbanshi, Kurmi, Kujur and other languages spoken in the tea gardens, and also Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Nepali and Ol-Chiki.
Are you seeing what’s happening in Assam? Before the election, the BJP said they’d let Rajbanshis stay and drive away Bengalis. After winning with the help of your votes, they are not ensuring your security there as well – Rajbanshis as well as Bengalis are being murdered. And the NRC has caused the names of all communities to be deleted from the list of citizens.
I am really sad at what is happening in Delhi. Bodies are still being dragged out of canals. Why were so many killed for protesting against the CAA?
However, here in Bangla I won’t allow that sort of thing to happen. I had brought back 130 of our people from Kashmir, who had gone to work in the apple orchards there. And given them Rs 50,000 each to start new businesses. Several were from Kaliaganj too.
Nobody can snatch away your citizenship. Don’t listen to anybody. We are all citizens.
We want food and work, not riots. We want to save people from riots, we don’t want another Delhi or UP to happen here. My brothers and sisters will save Bangla.
Keep a sharp eye on anyone trying to create trouble here. Don’t let anybody set fire to your lives. We don’t want riots, we want peace, we want to live. We want the harshest punishment for anyone indulging in any form of violence.
