KOLKATA: West Bengal Trinamool Congress minister Firhad Hakim on Friday made it clear in unequivocal terms that their fight cannot be quashed with force.
Returning from Silchar, Mr Hakim, who was a part of the TMC delegation, said at Dum Dum airport, '' Our MPs had gone to Silchar to be with the common people. Despite having all necessary documents, names of several people were not included in the NRC."
"They went to study these incidents, so that they can make suggestions in Parliament to the Government to rectify the errors. The government would have got a chance to correct them, '' he stated.
"What happened in the airport was undemocratic. This is unimaginable in a democracy. How can they stop elected representatives from meeting people? India is for everyone. People are free to go to any part of the country. But the BJP Government in Assam has taken away that right."
"Imagine, if elected representatives are treated in this manner, what will happen to the lakhs of common people, small farmers, people who have to live away from their homes because of floods, those who cannot even speak properly, whose names have been excluded despite living here for half a century, families which have been excluded despite living here for centuries. Will they get a proper hearing? '' Mr Hakim questioned.
''Bengal is a land of communal harmony. Assam is the complete opposite. NRC is being done with ulterior communal motives. Names of over one lakh Nepalis have been omitted. Biharis have been excluded. This is not just a witch-hunt against Bengalis. Biharis, Bengalis, Nepalis, minorities" all are being targeted, '' he pointed out.
"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had sent this delegation to find out what has gone wrong, and make suggestions to the government. But the people have been deprived. We condemn this government. Our party is always with the people. We will continue to fight for them, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee. We will protest against this incident. Our protest cannot be quashed by detaining us using force, ''he asserted.