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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of threatening people that central investigative agencies would be sent to their homes if they did not vote for it in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Trinamool Congress chief advised locals in Cooch Behar, especially Rajbongshis, to ensure that their names are in the voter list so that they can “save themselves” from the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Banerjee said at a public distribution program here, “BJP is using central agencies for elections… It is calling people and threatening that if they do not vote for it, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials will be sent to their homes.
The West Bengal Chief Minister also said that she will not follow any order of the BJP to worship any particular god. “I follow Ramayana, Quran, Bible and Guru Granth Sahib…I don’t pretend to go to the homes of the poor and eat food brought from outside,” she said, referring to caste violence in BJP-ruled Manipur. He claimed that during the violence in the north-eastern state, more than 200 churches were burnt and many women were paraded naked. He claimed that Christmas holidays were also cancelled. Banerjee alleged that the Center is raising the CAA issue before the Lok Sabha elections to do politics. He said, “They (BJP) have again started talking about CAA. This is nothing but politics. We have given citizenship to everyone (and) they (people from border areas) are getting everything.
They are citizens, so they have the right to vote.” Earlier in the day, Union Minister Shantanu Thakur claimed that the CAA will be implemented in the country within a week. Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Thakur said at a public meeting in Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district, “In the next one week, CAA will be implemented not only in West Bengal but in the entire country.” Banerjee also accused the Border Security Force (BSF) of “harassing people and issuing separate identity cards to people living in border areas”. He cautioned the local people not to accept such identity cards from the BSF, otherwise they would “fall into the trap of NRC (National Register of Citizens)”.
The TMC supremo said, “BSF is torturing people… It is trying to issue separate identity cards to people living in border areas. Never take this card. “If they ask you, tell them you have Aadhaar and ration card and no other card is required,” he said. If you take their cards, you will fall into the trap of NRC and (they) will exclude you from (citizen list). But don’t be afraid… I am always there like a tigress to protect you.” Later, at another program on distribution of tea garden pattas and extension of benefits of Cha Sundari Scheme in Siliguri, Banerjee distributed among the people the information issued by the BSF. Cautioned against accepting any card.
Also, he said that it is only the state government that has the authority to issue any new identity card. He expressed surprise over the grant of bail to six CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) personnel accused in the Sitalkuchi firing during the 2021 state assembly elections. He said, “I hope you will not forget that four people were murdered in Sitalkuchi. If the killer gets bail, how will the common people trust the judiciary?” He asked people to lodge police complaints if the BSF harasses them.” In May 2023, six accused CISF personnel were arrested in Mathabhanga sub-division. -Interim bail was granted by the Divisional Court. The Chief Minister also directed the Chief Secretary, District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to keep an eye on the matters related to BSF.
Disclaimer: Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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