KOLKATA: After the release of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, BJP leaders have issued statements demanding a similar NRC in West Bengal. Reacting to the draft that has left out 40,00,000 people, WB BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said, “More than 10 million illegal citizens live in Bengal too. What will happen to them now? Who will speak on their behalf? We won't spare anyone. They will have a very bad time.”
Reacting to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's declaration that the Trinamool Congress-run state government will not push back refugees from Assam trying to seek shelter in the state, Ghosh said, “Those who are supporting them should also keep their bags packed.” He also said, “Whoever will work against the national interest of the country, will have to go to Bangladesh. We won't spare anyone. Be it Congress, CPI(M), or TMC.” He added that the TMC was trying to mislead people about the NRC exercise.
Meanwhile, the ruling TMC alleged that the BJP was trying to divide the country by fuelling regionalism. TMC leader Firhad Hakim asked, “BJP may be in power in Delhi but they have no influence in Bengal. Dilip Ghosh can try all his life but he won't be able to do anything here. Under the rule of Mamata Banerjee, everyone lives in harmony in Bengal. What do they want, do they want to break the country?” Various other organisations have also condemned Ghosh's remarks. Bangla Pokkho, a group that fights for the rights of the Benglai community openly voiced its disagreement.
Gargi Chatterjee, a member of the group said, “Dilip Ghosh has threatened 10 million Bengalis because they do not vote for a party of outsiders, a party of communal fascists and riot mongers like BJP. If they come to the holy soil of Bengal to foment trouble then Bengalis will give them a response that their 14 generations will not forget.”
TMC leaders quit
In utter disappointment over Mamata's 'civil war' and 'bloodbath' remarks on the NRC in Assam, two Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders quit the party. Diganta Saikia and Pradeep Pachoni said that if the West Bengal Chief Minister was aware of the ground reality in the northeastern state, she wouldn't have made such comments.
Following the release of the report, Mamata launched an attack and alleged that the NRC exercise in Assam was done with a 'political motive' to divide people and warned that it would lead to bloodbath and a civil war in the country.
"The NRC is being done with a political motive. We will not let this happen. They (BJP) are trying to divide the people. The situation cannot be tolerated. There will be a civil war, bloodbath in the country," Banerjee had said at a conclave. The Trinamool Congress chief, during the conclave, had also dared the BJP to try implementing NRC in West Bengal and said it can never come to power in the state.
