West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that six people have lost their lives so far due to the fear of implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the State.
While addressing a meeting of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) affiliated trade union Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC), Banerjee said that she will not allow the implementation of NRC in West Bengal.
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She told the gathering that NRC exercise was carried out in Assam due to the Assam Accord but it will not be conducted anywhere else in the country.
Banerjee launched a verbal attack against the BJP claiming that the saffron party was trying to instill fear among the people and create religious division in the state in the name of NRC.
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Referring to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s decision of not allowing implementation of NRC in his state, Banerjee questioned the reason behind BJP’s keen decision of implementing NRC in West Bengal.
“If BJP is so keen on NRC why don’t they conduct the exercise in the BJP ruled Tripura, you will see Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb himself is out of the list,” she added.
She also claimed that it will be impossible for people to find out old documents needed for implementation of NRC.
“Who are they to ask for my papers? After so many years where from will I get my papers, documents might get washed away in natural calamity or it might get misplaced,” she added.
According to the TMC, two people died for committing suicide after failing to acquire old documents needed for NRC implementation and four others died after falling ill for standing for a long time outside government offices to get their documents.
Banerjee blamed the Centre for planning disinvestment of a large number of public sector units.
The TMC will conduct protest rallies in Kolkata on Thursday and Friday.