Will not allow the implementation of NRC in West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal CM and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday asserted that her party and government will not allow the implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state.
"We will not allow the implementation of NRC in West Bengal. NRC implementation nothing but an attempt to divert the attention of the common people from the economic crisis in the country," she told the state Assembly during a discussion on the motion on NRC under Rule 185.
"Assam is the only state in the country where the NRC has been implemented. The final list was published on August 31. There is nobody in the country to speak against the BJP in the country," Banerjee added.
All India Forward Bloc MLA Ali Imram Ramz also raised his voice against the NRC and said passing a resolution against it "would show West Bengal as a secular state."
However, BJP called for implementing the NRC, saying it is imperative in order to weed out migrants from the state.
"NRC in Bengal is required as the Left Front government has allowed lakhs of Bangladeshi Muslims to enter Bengal," said BJP MLA Swadhin Kumar Sarkar.
Mamata's statement comes after her party, along with the opposition Congress and Left Front brought a joint resolution in the state Assembly against the NRC in order to corner the BJP.
"For the last two days, the Trinamool Congress was hesitant to allow us (Congress and Left Front) to bring a resolution against the NRC in Assam. They have agreed today. Now it has been decided that the ruling TMC and the opposition Congress and Left Front will bring the resolution jointly on Friday. There will be a discussion on it," Leader of the opposition Abdul Mannan of the Congress said earlier.
Since the beginning of the special session of the Assembly on August 26, the Congress and the Left Front have been demanding discussions over various issues such as price rise and implementation of the pay commission.
But their demands were rejected.
After the publication of the final NRC list on August 31 leaving out over 19 lakh applicants, the Congress and the Left Front are demanding a discussion on it.
"But this demand too was not accepted for the last two days. So we felt that TMC is not bothered about the sufferings of the people who have been excluded in the final NRC. But today they said they too want a joint resolution," Left Front Legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said.
"It is need of the hour to oppose this draconian exercise," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said this week.
BJP legislative party leader Manoj Tigga said his party will oppose the resolution.
"The NRC has been done keeping in mind national security to drive out infiltrators. If they are opposing it, they are working against the interest of the country," Tigga said.
The Trinamool Congress on Monday decided to hold mass protests across West Bengal on September 7 and 8 opposing the NRC in neighbouring Assam.
(With PTI and ANI Inputs)