'Modi, Shah making contradictory statements over NRC'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday trained her guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah accusing them of making contradictory statements over the NRC issue.

Addressing the gathering at a massive Trinamool Congress (TMC) rally against in NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Kolkata Banerjee also accused the Modi-Shah duo of spreading “confusion” among people.

“ While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is saying that there has been no discussion on a nationwide NRC the Home Minister Amit Shah had said that NRC would be carried out across the country,” said Banerjee.

She also said that both the statements are “contradictory” and are confusing the people.

“I wonder who is telling the truth,” said Banerjee.

The Chief Minister also said that the statements of TMC and BJP over the NRC issue are all in the public domain. She said that it was up to the people to decide who was telling the truth.

“ Whatever we and BJP have said about it (nationwide NRC) are in the public domain. It is for the people to decide who is telling the truth,” said Banerjee.

Accusing BJP of trying to give the CAA and NRC issue a communal colour the Chief Minister said that the saffron party was trying to divide the country.

The Chief Minister reiterated that she will never allow CAA and NRC to be held in West Bengal as long as she was alive.

Banerjee also lashed out at BJP working president J P Nadda for accusing her of creating hurdles in the path of the Centre granting citizenship to the Matua community who came to India from Bangladesh during Partition. Matuas are a social-religious sect founded by 19th-century reformer Harichand Thakur in modern-day Bangladesh. They are a deciding factor in several Assembly constituencies of Bengal.

“ The biggest proof of our identity is that we are born here. Who gave BJP the right to decide who is a citizen and who is not? Do we have to wear BJP’s amulet to prove our citizenship,” said Banerjee.