December 27, 2019
Won’t allow detention centres in Bangla as long as I am alive: Didi
Bangla Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said that as long as she is alive the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will not be implemented in the State.
None can snatch away the rights of the people of the country, like citizenship, the Trinamool Congress Chairperson said at the inauguration of Naihati Utsav.
Supporting the students’ protest across the country against the contentious CAA, she wondered why they can vote to elect a government on turning 18 but not have the right to protest.
‘As long as I am alive CAA will not be implemented in Bengal. No one has to leave the country or the state. There won’t be any detention center in Bengal,’ she said.
‘Why can’t students protest against a draconian law? The Centre is taking action against protesting students and is rusticating them from universities,’ the CM added.
She also said, “When I became the MP of Jadavpur I promised my refugee brothers and sisters that they will be provided land deeds unconditionally. I kept my word. I fought for it in Parliament. After coming to power, we recognised 94 colonies officially. Everyone who came to India on or before 1971 are citizens.”
Mamata Banerjee slammed the Centre on the issue of Aadhaar, saying that until a few years ago the government made us link everything from telephones to bank accounts with Aadhaar. And now they are saying Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship. Why did the Centre force people to link Aadhaar, she asked.
“Democracy means we all are citizens. There is no king. Everyone has equal rights. There will be no detention camps in Bangla as long as I am alive. They could that in Assam because they are in power there. They cannot do it in Bangla,” she thundered.
She also maintained that Bangla will not carry out any work for National Population Register (NPR).
