During Eid 2024 meeting in Kolkata on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated her stand against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens and Uniform Civil Code in the state saying that she won’t allow forceful implementation of these “till I am alive”, adding that the Trinamool Congress is “ready to shed blood”.
She also warned of “engineered riots” in name of religion during the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and urged the gathering to “keep quiet, keep your head cool” if a situation of riot arise.
Addressing the Eid-ul-Fitr gathering at the Red Road, Mamata, as quoted by news agency ANI, said, “We are ready to shed blood for the country but will not tolerate torture for the country. A uniform civil code is not acceptable. I want Harmony of all religions. Your safety. Your life. No NRC, no CAA…”
“… there will be people who will be trying to engineer riots in the name of religion. You keep your cool and we will not let them to succeed in initiating riots here,” Mamata added.
Claiming that she doesn’t know how to hate people, the West Bengal CM said she wants everyone to live in peace and harmony.
“We will not accept the CAA, NRC, UCC. We will not accept any forcible implementation of these. I do not know how to hate people. I do not deliver hate speeches. I want everybody to live like brothers, in peace and harmony,” news agency PTI quoted Mamata as saying at the meeting.
“Till I am alive, nobody will be able to cause harm to you. I will keep fighting them. I have learnt from you people not fearing death, but it’s the other way round,” she added.
Mamata claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is “using” central agency to “scare” people, mainly opposition leaders, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“A few people want that during this election to scare people in the name of agencies. Drive the CBI, ED, Income Tax, and NIA after them. I will tell them (BJP) to construct a jail and put everyone behind the bars. But will you be able to put the entire population of 130 crores in jail?,” she said.
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Published: 11 Apr 2024, 02:31 PM IST
