Bengal CPM to up the ante against NRC

In a bid to arrest its electoral decline, the Bengal unit of the CPM has decided to go all-out against any attempt to conduct the NRC in the state. The CPM state leadership is banking on the party’s refugee cells to stage protests across West Bengal.

CPM sources revealed that despite the electoral setback in the Lok Sabha elections in border districts such as Cooch Bihar, North 24 Paraganas and Nadia, the impressive gathering at party programmes there have encouraged the leadership to go ahead with the plan.

The NRC issue is being highlighted in all the party programs over other local issues.

Making it clear that they will leave no stone unturned to make their presence felt over the issue, CPM took organised a sit-in demonstration and protest march against the NRC at the Entally Market area in Central Kolkata. The party will also carry out a protest march in Cooch Behar on Sunday.

“We will not allow NRC (in Bengal); it will not happen. They (BJP) want to make 2 crore Bengali-speaking people of the country, including those in West Bengal, foreigners. We don’t want division on the lines of caste, language and religion. We want job, food and rights of education, health and social equality for everyone,” tweeted CPM state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra.

CPM has also alleged that in the name of NRC, the BJP government at the Centre tried to divide people along religious lines.

“After seeing what happened in Assam we want to caution the people of West Bengal. No matter what happens, we will not allow NRC in Bengal. If the Modi-Shah brigade wants to send any Bengali citizen across the border, they have to do it over our dead bodies,” said CPM Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty.

The CPM state leadership also questioned why West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not raise the NRC issue during her recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.