KOLKATA: West Bengal's opposition Left parties and the Congress have lashed out against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her comments that the issue of National Register of Citizens was not discussed during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.
Referring to BJP state president Dilip Ghosh's recent remark that two crore foreigners have entered Bengal from Bangladesh, Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty said this issue has emerged as one of vital importance.
"After Ghosh's statement and the BJP's repeated assertions that the NRC exercise would be undertaken in the state, there is lot of tension among the people. The issue has become very important. She should have taken up the issue first during her meeting with the Prime Minister," he said.
Earlier this month, the state assembly passed a resolution against NRC in Assam with lawmakers from ruling Trinamool Congress, Left parties and Congress joining hands to back it.
Banerjee had also on September 12 hit the streets against the Assam NRC and said she won't accept any such exercise in her state.
"Why did she participate in a protest march in the state against the NRC then? She is only trying to manage the situation with the CBI closing in on IPS Rajeev Kumar whom she wants to protect in order to protect herself," said Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
The Trinamool, however, was dismissive of the allegations.
"There was no discussion on NRC in the CM-PM meeting as it is not applicable to Bengal, nor it will be implemented in Bengal. Confidence and clarity of CM is most reassuring to people who are being misled by the rhetoric of the BJP leaders," Omprakash Mishra, a fresh joinee in the Trinamool, said on social media.