Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of attempting to marginalise the SCs, STs, and OBCs by implementing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
Banerjee was speaking at a rally in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra at Tehatta in Nadia district. She lashed out at the BJP-led government alleging that the BJP government is spreading falsehoods about citizenship benefits for marginalised communities.
She warned the gathering that the UCC could jeopardise the rights of SCs, STs, and OBCs. Meanwhile, Banerjee on Wednesday had raised concern over the sudden rise in final voter turnout figures released by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. Later in the day, Banerjee held another rally in East Burdwan’s Memari in support of her party candidate in Bardhaman Purba Lok Sabha seat Sharmila Sarkar.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lying about the benefits of UCC that it will help everybody. Instead, if UCC is implemented, it will put at stake the existence of SCs, STs and OBCs. BJP will destroy the constitution. The Modi government wants a country without dalits, backward communities. Rest assured, we will not let it happen,” Banerjee asserted.
Banerjee added that the BJP for the past ten years has been spreading lies about Matuas and other backward castes getting citizenship through the CAA, which is a ploy to take away one’s already existing bona fide citizenship rights and deport them to concentration camps.
Incidentally, the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency has a large population of Matuas. She also alleged the UCC will prevent different communities, tribes and sects from practising their own customs and rituals.
She also brought serious allegations against the BJP-led Centre saying it may attempt “to inflate the voting figure after the actual date of polling by using the Election Commission.”
She expressed bewilderment over the Election Commission’s announcement of an increased poll percentage four days after the actual voting took place, stating that while she wasn’t casting aspersions on the EC, she found it unfathomable.
Banerjee while speaking at a public rally in Murshidabad’s Farakka on Wednesday had raised concern over the sudden rise in final voter turnout figures released by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls and urged the Commission to be “impartial, instead of being the BJP’s Commission”.
“After the first and second phases, polling percentage was reported in various newspapers as per information from the Election Commission. Last night, I learnt that there was a sudden jump in final voter turnout by nearly 5.75% following a notice released by the Election Commission,” Banerjee had said.
“You (ECI) should not become BJP’s Commission. How did the polling percentage increase suddenly? In BJP-ruled states, it should be clarified if EVM machines are replaced or not. There are apprehensions of manipulation of results by the BJP. There were 19 lakh EVM machines which were missing. I would urge EC to clear people’s doubt,” Banerjee further added on Wednesday.