No citizen will be allowed to turn a refugee: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday issued a challenge to the BJP-led government at the Centre as she said that she will neither allow NRC nor the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the state. Dubbing the NRC and CAB as “two sides of the same coin” the Chief Minister said that she will oppose CAB at any cost. Her comments come on day when Home Minister Amit Shah introduced CAB in the Lok Sabha.

“ No need to worry about the NRC and CAB. We will not allow any of them in Bengal. They (Centre) can’t just throw out a genuine citizen out of the country or dub anyone as a refugee,” said Banerjee. She was speaking at a party rally in Kharagpur in West Medinipur district.

Without naming BJP the Chief Minister accused the saffron party of spreading panic over NRC and CAB. Referring to the fact only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christian, Jain and Parisis who came to India from Afganisthan, Pakistan and Bangladesh facing religious persecution will be eligible for citizenship under CAB Banerjee said that CAB cannot be implemented on religious lines.

She argued that the Centre can introduce a provision for green citizenship card holder for those coming to India from other countries but has no right to ask someone living in India for decades to leave the country.

“ The government can introduce a green citizenship card for those coming to India from other countries. But they have no right to ask some who has been living in the country for decades to leave India. Anyone living in the country is an Indian citizen,” said Banerjee.

The Chief Minister also said that her government has introduced unsubsidized digital ration card which will function as one’s identity proof. She also said 30 people have committed suicide in Bengal due to panic over NRC.

Banerjee made it clear that NRC and CAB will be key issues in her attack against BJP in the days to come. The panic over NRC in the state turned out be a key factor behind TMC winning all the three seats in the recent Assembly by-elections.