The Assam Police on Thursday registered a case against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee acting on a complaint against her for accusing the Centre of conspiring to drive Bengalis out of Assam by excluding their names from the first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Referring to the Assam government’s first draft of the NRC, which was published on the midnight of December 31, Banerjee on Wednesday alleged, “This is a conspiracy of the central government to drive out around 1.80 crore people from the state.”
Mamata Banerjee also warned the BJP-led central government against playing ‘divisive politics’ and attempting to push the Bengali community out of Assam. “People have gone there (Assam) to work. In the name of NRC, they are planning to drive them out. I warn the BJP government at the Centre not to play with fire. They should not follow the divide and rule policy,” she said.
Batting for the people who migrate to other states in search of employment, Banerjee said, “Slowly, they settle down just like there are people from other states who are working and staying in West Bengal,” she said.
She further asserted that the Trinamool Congress will not sit back and watch their people being affected and continue to speak for their cause. Indicating that there could be trouble due to the exclusion of Bengalis from the NRC draft, she said if there will be any agitation, it will also affect the Assamese people in Bengal. However, she claimed that the West Bengal government will ensure they are kept safe and “close to the bosom”.
The Assam government published its first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that includes the names of 1.9 crore people out of the 3.29 crore total applicants, recognising them as legal citizens of India. The rest of the names are under various stages of verification, Registrar General of India Sailesh said at a press conference held at midnight where he made the draft public.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also asked the ‘genuine citizens’ who had been left out to not panic as they could still get their names included in the final list.
Earlier, There have been sharp reactions in Assam to the reported comment made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that ongoing process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam was meant to drive out Bengalis staying in Assam while addressing a public meeting at Birbhum in West Bengal on Wednesday.
A local organisation called Krishak Shramik Kalyan Parishad, has filed an FIR at Dispur police station here against Mamata Banerjee for her alleged inflammatory remarks regarding the NRC updating process in Assam where effigies of the West Bengal CM were burnt in many places by several organisations.
The ruling BJP in Assam has accused Mamata Banerjee of trying to play divisive politics over NRC updating process and thereby exposed her total lack of knowledge about the entire process which is meant for only to segregate illegal foreigners residing in Assam.
The general secretary of All Assam Students’ Union Lurin Jyoti Gogoi said the comment made by the West Bengal CM smacked of design to create communal divide in Assam and amounted to contempt of Supreme Court which is supervising the NRC updating process in Assam.
The AASU leader hoped that the apex court would act against Banerjee over such unwarranted comment on a matter under its constant supervision.
Guwahati police commissioner Hiren Nath confirmed that the Dispur police station has received an FIR against Banerjee though the police was yet to register any case.
Nath said, “We have received an FIR. The office in-charge of Dispur police station is looking into the complaint, which pertains to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee making some statement in her state.”
“No case has been registered by the police yet,” he added.
Meanwhile, the state president of the ruling BJP in Assam, Ranjeet Dass, today condemned Mamata Banerjee’s inflammatory and provocative statement on updated NRC in Assam, warning her against playing divisive politics with the emotions of the people of the state.
Dass said, “We have observed her comment with concern. She has exposed her total lack of understanding of the updating process of NRC for Assam.”
“Her eyes are set on West Bengal Assembly elections. Alarmed at BJP’s inroads into that state and her eroding base, she is seeking to play with the emotions of the people,” he added. Dass warned Banarjee against “playing politics on linguistic lines”.
Dass pointed that since the NRC updating process was under Supreme Court’s direct supervision, the apex court could itself take case against Banerjee.
The first part draft of the updated NRC was published at midnight of December 31 last, which included the names of 1.90 crore Indian citizens in Assam out of total 3.29 crore applicants. The rest of the applications are under various stages of verification and a second draft would be published shortly.
