KRISHNANAGAR: Bengal chief minister
Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she wouldn't allow
CAA to be enforced in the state "as long as I am alive". Her statement came a day after Union parliamentary minister Arun Ram Meghwal assured the Matua community at Bongaon that they would get citizenship under the CAA.
Addressing a gathering, Banerjee attacked the BJP, accusing it of doing politics with Matuas, Rajbanshis and other communities of the Hills ahead of the elections.
"The BJP has given you only a pack of lies," she said, adding, "They play politics with the Matuas on the CAA issue ahead of the elections and try to divide Bengal, playing on the sentiments of the Rajbanshis and the Hills people, although most of them do not want it."
Taking the cue from this, the
Trinamool is set to bring a resolution against CAA in the coming session of the Bengal assembly beginning November 18, sources said.
Banerjee said refugees from Bangladesh settled in Bengal were no less than citizens. "Narendra Modi couldn't have become Prime Minister without your votes, nor would I become CM without your votes. If you are not citizens, I also cease to be a citizen," she said.
The CM chose Nadia - which has a considerable refugee population and Matuas, who had crossed over from Bangladesh - to announce her government was giving free-hold land to refugees to give them an address and establish their right to property.