as-long-as-i-am-alive-mamata-vows-to-block-caa-implementation-in-bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP on Tuesday, asserting that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will not be allowed in the state during her lifetime. Speaking at a public distribution program in Raiganj, Banerjee accused the BJP of opportunistically raising the CAA issue ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

 

"With elections approaching, the BJP has again raked up the CAA issue to reap political benefits. But let me make it very clear that as long as I am alive, I will not allow its implementation in West Bengal," Banerjee affirmed.

 

Banerjee's remarks were prompted by Union Minister and BJP leader Shantanu Thakur's recent assertion that the CAA would be rolled out across the country within a week, fueling concerns about the controversial legislation's imminent enforcement.

 

The CAA, enacted by the BJP-led government in 2019, aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.

 

Expressing alarm over reports of the Border Security Force (BSF) allegedly issuing separate identity cards in border areas, Banerjee cautioned people against accepting such cards, labelling them 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 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.

 

These statements follow Banerjee's recent announcement of the TMC's decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal alone.