KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Centre over the violence at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and said that situation was nothing less than that of an Emergency. Attacking the government, Mamata Banerjee said: "On one side, they [government] have sent the BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] goons and on the other, they have kept the police administration inactive. The incident is a fascist surgical strike. We have never seen attacks like these ever but now everywhere it is happening. Look at Lucknow, what is going on in Lucknow? What is going on in Muradabad? They are doing whatever they like."
"When anyone raises their voices, they term them straight as an enemy of the nation. We haven't witnessed these types of issue in the past," Mamata Banerjee said. Stating the difference between India and Pakistan, Mamata Banerjee said: "The difference between India and Pakistan is that Pakistan is not a democratic country but we are proud to say India is a democratic country. Fundamentalism is more in Pakistan but India is secular. But look at JNU, AMU [Aligarh Muslim University], IIT [Indian Institutes of Technology] and even in Visva Bharati."
"The CISF is deployed to protect the political leaders. Those people, who are meant to protect the university and people, are protecting the political leaders. There are many BJP leaders who get the protection from the CISF," Mamata Banerjee said. Mamata Banerjee also urged students across the country to come together to fight against the government, which she said is targeting all the institution in the country.
Earlier, Mamta took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “talking all the time about Pakistan”and asked the PM if he was “a Pakistani ambassador”. She also questioned BJP’s constant use of Pakistan to silence its critics. “Why do you always compare our country with Pakistan?” She said it was time Modi and BJP stopped employing “Pakistan rhetoric” to silence political opponents. “He (Modi) talks about Pakistan all the time. Why? Is he their ambassador? We are interested in Hindustan. When someone asks for jobs, he says 'go to Pakistan'. You are India’s PM, but keep talking of Pakistan.”
Mamata's 4.5km march from Siliguri's Mallaguri neighbourhood till Baghajatin Park to protest against CAA came 10 days after BJP held a rally. Another anti-CAA rally in the hills is scheduled for January 22.
