West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday described the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as “unconstitutional, undemocratic, unethical and illegal”, as she hit the streets for the third consecutive day against the Act and targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his “firm like a rock” comment.
“If you are like a rock... we are like little rats, we will nibble through it,” she said. The BJP leadership should not commit the mistake of “underestimating” her.
At Dorina crossing of the Esplanade at the conclusion of the rally that started at Howrah Maidan on the other side of the Hooghly river, Ms Banerjee said his (Amit Shah’s) job was not to start a fire but to douse the ‘fire that was raging across the country’. “I will appeal to the Home Minister to control his party, control the country, and maintain peace,” she stated
Ms Banerjee sought a clarification from Mr. Shah on what he meant by saying that having an Aadhaar does not guarantee citizenship to a person.
Commenting on the violence during the anti-CAA protests in the State, Ms Banerjee said that a “few sporadic incidents” have happened but the railways suspended all trains cutting off links with north Bengal and the Northeast. She criticised the remarks made by Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi that those destroying railway property should be shot at. “ Is it democratic to shoot people” she asked.
To address 2 more gatherings
The Trinamool Congress has announced that the Chief Minister will address two more gatherings against the CAA and the NRC on Thursday at Rani Rashmoni Road and at Park Circus Maidan on Friday.
While there has been no fresh violent protest in the State against the CAA, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya faced some protests from people at Nabagram in Murshidababd district. In videos shared on social media by the BJP national general secretary, some people are shown raising slogan against him and security personnel keeping the protesters away from him. The district administration also arrested BJP MPs Khagen Murmu and Nitish Pramanik, who tried to visit the railway stations in the adjoining Malda district that has been ransacked in a violent protest.
The BJP brought out rallies in some parts of Kolkata in support of the CAA.
The Eastern Railway, which had cancelled over a dozen trains to north Bengal, has resumed the services of most of trains connecting Kolkata to north Bengal and north eastern parts of the country.
