KOLKATA: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday assured that all victims of religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan will get citizenship rights in India even if they do not have documentary proof.
Addressing his first public rally in Kolkata after the 2019 general elections, Shah accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of scaring people over the Citizenship Amendment Act.
"Mamata didi is scaring people, forcing them to run from pillar to post. They are going to the sarpanch to procure document related to their citizenship. I assure all refugees who were tortured, forcibly converted to other religion and had to leave their own country because of religious persecution — they will be given citizenship,’’ Shah said.
Reaching out to the minorities, he said: "I assure every person from the minority community that CAA only provides citizenship.’’
Shah urged Bengal voters to give the saffron camp a chance to bring back Bengal’s glory.
"You gave the Left Front decades and Mamata Banerjee nine years. In the 2021 Assembly elections, you give us a chance and elect our party in Bengal. We promise, we will make all your dreams come true,’’ he said. Shah’s visit triggered large-scale protest marches across the city.
While a group of BJP supporters near the rally venue shouted the “goli maro” slogan that had polarised Delhi, CPM, Congress, Left-leaning students and ultra-Left supporters staged demonstrations at several places with black flags and ‘go back’ slogans against Shah.
While Trinamool supporters were silent, Mamata, without naming the BJP, fumed against divisive politics.
Launches new drive ahead of civic polls
Amit Shah launched Bengal BJP’s new outreach called ‘Aar Noy Onnay’ (No More Injustice) ahead of the civic polls to be held in April-May.
He announced a cell phone number and urged people to give a missed call to it to indicate their support to the drive