TMC organises sit-ins across Bengal in protest against CAA

Kolkata: Senior Trinamool Congress leader, Firhad Hakim, on Saturday, alleged that the Modi-led BJP government is creating confusion among the people by raising issues like National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) just to divert the attention of the country from burning topics like mounting unemployment, soaring prices of onions and economic slowdown.

He took part in a sit-in demonstration at Kidderpore demanding the withdrawal of NRC and CAA. The Trinamool Congress had organised sit-in demonstrations throughout the state in which all MLAs of the party took part in their respective constituencies.

Coming down heavily on the BJP, Hakim said the BJP leadership has said that EPIC cards and Aadhaar cards are not enough to prove a person's citizenship. " If this is true then the Prime Minister and his council of ministers will have to step down as they have been elected by people who are not citizens of the country," he said. Hakim added that the BJP is trying to divide the Hindus and the Muslims to cover up their failure to address burning issues of the country like unemployment, soaring of the prices of essential commodities and the economic slowdown.

Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay also took part in the sit-in demonstration at Rasjbehari Assembly constituency. He said Trinamool Congress will thwart any attempt to implement NRC and CAA as they aim to divide India on the basis of religion. The councilors under Rashbehari Assembly seat also took part in the sit-in demonstration.

Partha Chatterjee organised the sit-in demonstration in Behala West Assembly constituency while Shashi Panja took part in the programme at Shyampukur.

Sujit Bose took part in the sit-in demonstration in Lake Town while Javed Khan took part in the programme at Kasba.

Sit in demonstrations were held in all the 341 blocks and district headquarters in Bengal. The leaders urged the people not to get scared as there will be no NRC and CAA in Bengal. They said demonstrations should be carried out peacefully and democratic manner.

It may be recalled Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee took part in five rallies in Kolkata demanding the withdrawal of the draconian CAA and said the movement will continue till it is scrapped.

Thousands of people joined her in these rallies. She will take part in a rally in Purulia on Monday. This will be her first visit to the district after the Lok Sabha election. She will also take part in a rally in Siliguri on January 3, 2020. During her addresses at the rallies, she has assured people that neither NRC nor CAA will be implemented in Bengal and there will not be any detention camps.