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Mamata Banerjee dares PM: Sack me over CAA-NRC

She made it clear that even out of power she would not allow the CAA and NRC to be effective at any cost.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday dared the Centre to dismiss her government for opposing the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state. She made it clear that even out of power she would not allow the CAA and NRC to be effective at any cost.

Demanding the rollback of the CAA and NRC, the Trinamul Congress supremo led a protest rally from B.R. Ambedkar Statue on Red Road to Jorasanko on Chittaranjan Avenue. She declared that if the Central government continued to implement the CAA and NRC in West Bengal, it would have to do so over her “dead body”.

Reposing her faith in the state police, Banerjee also revealed she rejected the Narendra Modi government’s offer of central paramilitary forces to tackle the violence in districts which entered its fourth day. She advised the BJP to tackle the volatile situation first in New Delhi, Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya. Addressing a rally, she claimed, “The BJP is threatening to drive out people. Nothing will happen. Who will do it? We will not accept CAA and NRC. What will you do? Will you dismiss our government? Do it then. Throw me away too. But we will not surrender to you.”

“The Citizenship (Amend-ment) Bill was introduced. It has to be withdrawn. The CAB and NRC are same sides of a lollipop. We will continue our movement until they are withdrawn. If they have to implement the CAA and NRC here, they have to do it over my dead body first.”

Appealing for peace, Banerjee added, “Some BJP leaders are wondering why President’s Rule would not be imposed here. Do not fall into their trap. Another big leader is issuing warnings. I ask him to warn the governments in Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, where the BJP is in power, first.”

Meanwhile, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar sent a letter to the CM asking her to update him personally on the violence on Tuesday. His move came after a no-show by state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha and state director general of police Virendra despite his summons.

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