BJP Wants To Divide People, Omitted 19 Lakh Names From NRC List: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee On CAA

The TMC leader said if anyone from areas near the Bangladesh border in Bengal has to prove his citizenship, then it applies to all including the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee has accused the Bharatiya Janta Party of insulting the people living near the Bangladesh border by asking them to prove their Indian citizenship for the second time in the name of CAA. 

Banerjee said that if anyone from West Bengal’s Nadia or North 24 Parganas districts has to prove his citizenship again, the same applies to all, including the prime minister and Union home minister, reported PTI. 

Nadia and North 24 Parganas are districts bordering Bangladesh.  

Banerjee made the remark while addressing a public meeting at Ranaghat in Nadia district. 

"Those who are misleading the people in the name of the Citizenship Amendment Act, I have one question for them. Why rules cannot be framed even after the CAA was tabled in Parliament. Because they used the CAA to get votes, " he said. 

The Diamond Harbour MP further added, "If you have all documents and got benefits of the government's welfare schemes, and if you have voted in earlier polls, why there is a need to do it all over again? Because the BJP wants to divide the people." 

"In the name of the National Register of Citizens, the BJP had omitted the names of 19 lakh people from the NRC list. We won't allow them (BJP) to do the same in West Bengal," said Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reported PTI. 

The comment came weeks after BJP MP Suvendu Adhikari dared CM Mamata Banerjee to stop the implementation of the CAA in the state. 

Talking about his party’s performance here, Banerjee said, "The results in Ranaghat were not up to expectations. We are here to take corrective action. If you are not happy with the work of people's representatives in three-tier panchayat bodies, you tell us why". 

According to PTI, he also shared a toll-free number where people can send names of their favourite candidates for panchayat polls for a particular area. 

"If anyone wants to work for TMC to serve his own interests, the door is open for him...If anyone is found to be involved in contract business directly or indirectly, he cannot hold any post," the TMC leader said, mentioning that the party will not tolerate any act of vote loot and booth jam during next year’s panchayat elections.  

He also asked for the resignation of Partha Pratim Dey, pradhan Tatla-1 gram panchayat, as he allegedly did not visit the area after being elected four years back. 

"Mr. Roy please send your resignation by Monday. We will have a new panchayat pradhan who will be more responsive to the needs of people. Those having acceptability among local residents will only get tickets. I am razing down the wall between you (voters) and the people you will elect," the TMC leader said at the public meeting. 

Banerjee also stated, "Earlier, leaders from Kolkata used to come here and announce names of candidates (for rural polls) nominated by the party and then did not come back to the area in the subsequent six months to see how they were performing. Those days are over. The new TMC will correct the previous mistakes and be more transparent to make a new panchayat system for people." 

(With PTI Inputs)