Will ‘guard’ your rights, says Mamata Banerjee on CAA, NRC

Kolkata: Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described herself as the “guard” of the masses against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Vowing to “guard” the people’s citizenship rights, she also called the Centre’s plan to implement the CAA online, bypassing the state governments opposing the CAA, as “lies” spread by the BJP to mislead the public.

The West Bengal chief minister underlined that an online process would need to have physical existence also. Warning the BJP she declared that she would not savour a “lollypop” if people’s citizenship rights would be taken away.

At Patharpratima in South 24 Parganas Ms Banerjee told a rally, “There is no reason to worry. I am your guard. I have guarded you during the Cyclone Bulbul a whole night earlier.”

Her assurances earned a huge applause in the crowd. Ms Banerjee elaborated, “If anyone comes to snatch your rights, he would have to do it over my dead body. Otherwise it will not happen. It is not so easy. So do not get panicked by any campaign, canards and conspiracy. They (BJP) think themselves very clever. They speak differently in day and night to misguide the people.”

Referring to the Centre’s plan to make the CAA online for its implementation, the Trinamul chief added, “They are saying at some places that it would be made online. I ask: can rice be made online? Go and ask them. Applications can be sent online. But rice can not be boiled online. An application can be submitted online, but there is a need of physical existence of it too.”