Kolkata: Countering BJP president Amit Shah’s heavy salvo on chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her fierce opposition to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Assam four senior Trinamul Congress ministers lashed out at him on Sunday.
While state urban development minister Firhad Hakim blamed the BJP of committing a ‘sin’ by identifying the illegal immigrants as infiltrators judging their religion, state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee accused the BJP of using the NRC for votebank politics.
State education minister Partha Chatterjee pointed out that Mr Shah did not speak on the central government’s development works because there was nothing to tell about it. State power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay held the Modi government responsible for allowing high profile scamsters Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi to escape the country.
Training guns on Mr Shah Mr Hakim alleged, “Who is immigrant and who is an infiltrator? It is their divide and rule. A member of one religion is treated as immigrant while a member of another religion is treated as infiltrator. That is what he said.”
He claimed, “This is an injustice and sin. People migrate for two reasons: for earning and fear of life. Earlier those who migrated feared for life in face of torture by Pakistan. Later in 1971 it was again the Pakistanis who unleashed atrocities on the people forcing them to migrate.”
Mr Hakim added, “How can the people be judged by the cast creed and religion in such a situation? Some people migrate for hunger. “
He added, “It is not fair to do politics like the BJP which is differentiating such people on the basis their religion. We will certainly look into if any terrorist can not enter India.”
He reasoned, “But will the people here be chopped to death like the Rohingyas who received the same treatment on the suspicion of being terrorists? Bangladesh has already stated that they would not take them back. Now what will happen to these people? The Indian government has to rectify its policy first.”
Meanwhile state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said, “What Mr Amit Shah said is unfortuante for West Bengal. They are pushing for the NRC for votebank politics. Let him see the consequences if they touch our state.”
Bantering BJP chief Amit Shah state education minister Partha Chatterjee, also the Trinamul secretary general, “Empty pitcher sounds most. His speech lacked the mention of development work which they claim to be undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country. How can they speak about it?”
He noted, “Neither they could fulfill the promise of depositing Rs 15 lakhs in each citizen’s bank account nor they could stop the farmer’s suicides. He can only get a prize of doing the maximum number of foreign tours.”
State power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay claimed, “Those who let offenders like Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi flee the country do not deserve to comment against others.”
