Will not let anyone take away citizenship of people as long as I am alive: Mamata

Raiganj (WB): Lambasting the BJP for allegedly bringing up the issues of NRC, CAA and Uniform Civil Code ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asserted she would not allow anyone to take away the citizenship of people during her lifetime.

Speaking at a public distribution programme at Raiganj in Uttar Dinajpur district, she alleged that the BJP "opportunistically raised" the issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA ahead of the upcoming elections.

"They (BJP) are speaking about NRC (National Register of Citizens), CAA, and Uniform Civil Code ahead of the elections. This is nothing but politics. We have given citizenship to everyone (and) they (people in border areas) are getting everything. They are citizens, which is why they are allowed to vote," she said.

"But let me make it very clear that as long as I am alive, I will not allow NRC implementation in West Bengal. I will not allow them to take away the citizenship of anyone... everyone here is a citizen," Banerjee affirmed.

Earlier on several occasions, Banerjee has said her government won't allow the implementation of CAA in the state.

Her latest remarks were prompted by Union minister Shantanu Thakur's recent assertion that the CAA would be rolled out across the country within a week.

Thakur's statement, made during a public gathering at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on Sunday, fueled concerns regarding the imminent enforcement of the controversial legislation.

The CAA, enacted by the BJP-led government at the Centre in 2019, seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim immigrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.

Expressing concern over reports of the Border Security Force (BSF) allegedly issuing separate identity cards to residents in border areas, Banerjee cautioned people against accepting such cards, labelling those as potential tools in an "NRC trap".

"They are issuing separate identity cards to people living in border areas. Never accept these cards. This is a trap," Banerjee warned, emphasising the need for vigilance among border communities.

Banerjee's assertions align with her earlier claims in Cooch Behar district, where she accused the BSF of similar actions, a charge denied by the paramilitary force.

Reacting to Banerjee's statement, the West Bengal BJP unit said the CAA is a law of the land and no one can stop it from being implemented.

"CAA is a law of the land and no one can stop it from being implemented. Why is she making confusing statements about NRC implementation? The Centre has never said anything about NRC implementation," BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.

The CM rallied support against what she characterised as an alliance between the Congress, CPI (M), and BJP in West Bengal, urging people to unite under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) banner to counter this perceived threat.

"It is the TMC that is fighting for the rights of the people of the state. We all have to unite to defeat the Congress-CPI (M)-BJP nexus in Bengal," Banerjee said, calling for solidarity among citizens.

Her remarks follow her recent announcement of the TMC's decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal alone.