'Save the country': Mamata writes to CMs, leaders of oppn
Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Chief Ministers and senior leaders of all Opposition parties other than BJP, to chalk out a concrete plan to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
She stated in her letter that the democracy of the country is under threat from the BJP-led government at the Centre and appealed to the leaders to protest in unison and "save our democracy."
"Today, I write this letter to you with grave worries in my mind. The citizens of this country irrespective of caste and creed, particularly the women and children, farmers, workers and members of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, and minorities are in the grip of fear and panic for the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed nationwide NRC. The situation is very serious," Banerjee's letter read.
She described the current Central rule in the country as a 'draconian regime' and urged all non-BJP senior leaders and political outfits to create a peaceful and meaningful opposition to the "unholy efforts by the Centre and save India's democratic soul".
Referring to the instance of a Trinamool Congress delegation being stopped at Lucknow airport on Sunday as they attempted to visit Uttar Pradesh to be with the aggrieved people, Banerjee maintained that leaders of Opposition were not allowed to visit 'disturbed areas'.
"I appeal to all of you that at this juncture let us all work together. Opposition unity must be on one platform. The ruling party is bulldozing this democratic movement by using state machinery and brute force," the letter read.
"The youth and students have risen against and are facing a barbaric and brute force of the Centre. The entire world is watching us; let us all rise to save India of our forefathers and founders," states the letter.
Sources in the ruling TMC, of which Banerjee is the supremo, said that the letter was sent to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal among others.
At present Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Pondicherry are ruled by Congress. Some other major states in the country that are not under BJP's rule are Maharashtra, Kerala, and Jharkhand to name a few.
Banerjee is among the eight chief ministers, including Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan, Madhya Pradesh's Kamal Nath, Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab's Amarinder Singh, who has been campaigning against changes in the citizenship law and has made it clear that she would not let NRC and CAA to be implemented in Bengal.
It may be recalled that she has already held three mega rallies and two protest meetings against CAA and NRC last week.
