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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of deceiving people over granting citizenship and said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was a tool it used during elections
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP over alleged atrocities against Bengali migrants. (Image: PTI/File)
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the BJP as chaos unfolded in the West Bengal assembly, with MLAs on the ruling and opposition sides trading barbs during a discussion on a government resolution on alleged atrocities against Bengali migrants.
Banerjee accused the BJP of deceiving people over granting citizenship and said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, was a tool it used during elections.
“The CAA comes only when elections are near. They can’t do anything. Since 2019, they have been deceiving people. They do not grant citizenship to anyone,” Banerjee said as she spoke on the resolution in the assembly.
She said the BJP is an “anti-Bengali, anti-language, anti-poor, anti-SC, anti-Hindu, and communal party”.
“For us, all religions are in harmony. Everyone is listening to your language – such a beautiful language but you want to snatch our rights. You are torturing Bengalis but people will teach you a lesson,” she said. “I condemn the BJP for their persecution of Bengalis. A time will soon come when not a single BJP MLA will remain in Bengal. The people themselves will ensure it. The BJP will face inevitable defeat, for no party that wages linguistic terror against Bengalis can ever win Bengal.”
Calling the BJP “vote chor”, the chief minister said the party was corrupt to its core. “The BJP is a party of vote-chors, corrupt to the core, persecutors of Bengalis, and masters of deception. The BJP is a national disgrace, and I condemn them in the strongest terms,” she said.
As she was about to speak on the resolution, BJP MLAs questioned the suspension of opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari on September 2 prompting a fierce response from the treasury benches.
Speaker Biman Banerjee suspended BJP chief whip Shankar Ghosh from the assembly for the remainder of the day for creating disorder. As he refused to leave, assembly marshals were called in and he was physically dragged out of the House.
As the temperature in the House soared with both sides engaging in heated verbal duels, marshals stood guard between the two groups to prevent any scuffle. Later, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, who was shouting slogans, was also suspended, with the Speaker ordering women marshals to take her out.
The Trinamool Congress moved a motion under rule 169 condemning the alleged incidents against the Bengali-speaking people across India. As West Bengal goes to the polls next year, the ruling party has held protests alleging atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.
(With agency inputs)
Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st…Read More
Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st… Read More
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