Mamata Banerjee calls mega rally against new citizenship law

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a series of rallies across the state to protest the contentious citizenship law, reports NDTV.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 13 Dec 2019, 12:10 PM
Updated : 13 Dec 2019, 12:10 PM

"We will never allow NRC exercise and Citizenship Act in Bengal. We will not implement the amended Act, even though it has been passed in Parliament," Banerjee said.

"The Citizenship Act will divide India. As long as we are in power, not a single person in the state will have to leave the country," the chief minister added.

The amended Act has seen violent protests in the Northeast, particularly Assam, where two protesters were killed in police firing on Thursday.

Referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Assam, which has now been postponed, the chief minister said the development was a ‘blot’ on the country's reputation.

The Act, which intends to make it easier for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship, has been accused by rights groups and opposition parties of being ‘discriminatory’ and violating the constitutional right to equality.