The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will conduct a citizenship screening
exercise in Bengal to identify and weed out infiltrators, party
president Amit Shah said at a public rally in the north Bengal district
of Alipurduars on Friday.
“Will implement National Register of
Citizens (NRC) in Bengal to identify and throw out each and every
infiltrator from the state. We want to assure each and every Hindu
refugee that none has to leave the country. All of you will have a place
to live in India with respect. The Citizenship Amendment Bill is our
commitment,” said Shah.
Polling will be held in two constituencies Alipurduars and Cooch Behar on April 11 — the first phase of elections.
Shah
also took a jibe at the Ma-Mati-Manush slogan of the Trinamool and said
that they have gifted mati (land) to infiltrators (from bordering
Bangladesh).
Friday’s speech was Shah’s first in the state since the date of elections were announced on March 10.
The
BJP boss devoted almost the entire speech in criticising Bengal chief
minister Mamata Banerjee for her “politics of appeasement”. He said that
he had no problem with her decision to pay stipend to imams, but
demanded he she should have also done the same for Hindu priests.
Incidentally, imams get the stipend from Wakf board.
“There
has to be a limit to appeasement. For madrasa education, she allotted
Rs 40 billion (4,000 crore) that exceeds the budget allocation for
higher education. Elect Modi and he will flood the place with institutes
for making doctors and engineers,” said Shah.
He also alleged
that the state government is trying to push Urdu in Bengali medium
schools, and pointed out that two of BJP’s workers Tapas Barman and
Rajesh Sarkar fell to police bullets in Islampur (of North Dinajpur
district) while agitating against recruitment of an Urdu teacher (in a
local school) last year.
Shah also took on the Trinamool chief for
questioning India’s air strikes against Pakistan following the Pulwama
terror attack in February.
“Instead of questioning the role of
Pakistan, Mamata is questioning the air strikes of India because of her
politics of appeasement. She wants to please her vote bank. Mamata does
not want that we answer Pakistan. But do not worry. No matter what
Mamata and Akhilesh (Yadav) might wish, Modi will always pursue
tit-for-tat policy,” Shah said.
Only Modi can save Bengal from Mamata’s misrule, the BJP president said.
“Modi
sent Rs 4,349 billion (4,34,9 00 crore) in five years but it did not
reach you because Trinamool goons appropriated it,” alleged Shah.
Will never allow NRC in Bengal: Trinamool Congress
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Friday rebuffed BJP president Amit Shah's claim to replicate the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in West Bengal if the saffron party returns to power at the Centre.
"We will never allow any NRC exercise in Bengal. They (BJP) want to divide the people on religious and communal lines. We will never allow that to happen," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.
"We will never allow any NRC exercise in Bengal. They (BJP) want to divide the people on religious and communal lines. We will never allow that to happen," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said.
Chatterjee's comments come after Shah, at a rally in Alipurduar, said: "We will also bring in NRC in Bengal and throw out all infiltrators. We will also ensure that the Hindu refugees are not touched. They are very much a part of our country."
The NRC is a document containing names of all genuine Indian citizens in Assam. It, however, became a hugely contentious issue after the complete draft, released last year, omitted the names of lakhs of people who have been residing in the state for several decades.
Chatterjee challenged Shah to win a single seat in the state in the general election. "We challenge the BJP to win even a single seat in Bengal. I can assure you all that the BJP will neither win a seat in Bengal, nor return to power at the Centre... The people of this country and Bengal have made up their minds to oust (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi," he said.
The TMC leader mocked the BJP for allegedly knocking at every door with the proposal to the people of becoming its candidate in the state. "Those who don't have proper candidates for contesting the polls are dreaming of capturing the seat of power in Bengal," he added.
With https://www.hindustantimes.com and https://economictimes.indiatimes.com input
The NRC is a document containing names of all genuine Indian citizens in Assam. It, however, became a hugely contentious issue after the complete draft, released last year, omitted the names of lakhs of people who have been residing in the state for several decades.
Chatterjee challenged Shah to win a single seat in the state in the general election. "We challenge the BJP to win even a single seat in Bengal. I can assure you all that the BJP will neither win a seat in Bengal, nor return to power at the Centre... The people of this country and Bengal have made up their minds to oust (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi," he said.
The TMC leader mocked the BJP for allegedly knocking at every door with the proposal to the people of becoming its candidate in the state. "Those who don't have proper candidates for contesting the polls are dreaming of capturing the seat of power in Bengal," he added.
With https://www.hindustantimes.com and https://economictimes.indiatimes.com input
Chatterjee's
comments come after Shah, at a rally in Alipurduar, said: "We will also
bring in NRC in Bengal and throw out all infiltrators. We will also
ensure that the Hindu refugees are not touched. They are very much a
part of our country."
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