'Why link Aadhaar if not proof of citizenship'
Kolkata: Continuing the mega protest march for the third consecutive day, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday, came down heavily on the Union Home minister, Amit Shah for his statement that Aadhaar and voter cards were not proofs of citizenship. Banerjee questioned why the Centre had earlier stressed on linking Aadhaar with all personal details like phone number and bank account, if they were not proof enough for being an Indian citizen.
"Those who had voted him to power are not citizens of India according to his statement," said Banerjee, while addressing a mammoth rally at Dharmatala on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, she led a rally which started from Howrah Maidan. The procession marched through Howrah Bridge, Brabourne Road and BBD Bag to reach Dharmatala. Senior Trinamool leaders including Sudip Bandyopadhyay were present at the rally.
"If voter card, Aadhaar card and PAN card are not proofs of citizenship then what is the proof? Is it the amulet given by BJP?" she questioned, reiterating that National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) are two sides of the same coin.
"We are not going to implement them and we want to see how many detention camps are set up all over the country for the people whose names will be dropped from the NRC," she added.
Cautioning Shah "not to play with fire," the Trinamool supremo said: "As the country's Home minister he should control his own partymen and douse the flames," adding: "When he has taken a constitutional oath, it is his duty to treat everyone equally and to not discriminate people on the basis of their caste, creed and religion."
Accusing the BJP of instigating violence, she said: "There was no trouble in the country when BJP was not in power. Now Kashmir, Tripura and Assam are burning. Some people have tried to create trouble in Bengal, but we have taken proper steps and arrested the trouble-makers."
Referring to the proposal of two BJP MPs visiting railway stations, Banerjee said: "Go to Delhi, Bhagalpur and Gujarat to see railway stations. When there is any trouble you will never find a BJP leader but when the trouble gets settled they come out to create more trouble. This is their policy."
She also demanded that NRC and CAA should be withdrawn, as the law is "unconstitutional, unethical, illogical and it has been passed by a sheer majority in the House. Such draconian laws should be withdrawn immediately."
She added that "BJP is flexing their muscles depending on their majority. In such a situation, BJP should remember that it got 38 per cent votes while the Opposition got 62 per cent votes. So, numerical supremacy in Parliament is not everything." The chief minister appealed to people again to not take law into their own hands, saying: "Movements should be conducted in a peaceful manner. There should not be roadblocks and blockade of railway tracks, or setting of government property on fire."
The rally covered a 6-kilometre stretch and was attended by thousands of people coming from all walks of life, including former players, singers and people from the cultural world. When the rally reached Brabourne Road, many people came from their offices and joined the march for peace.
