West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) are two sides of the same coin and she will not allow their implementation in the state.
"CAB and NRC are two sides of the same coin. We won't allow the implementation of CAB in Bengal. I urge other political parties also, not to support the CAB," Banerjee said in her speech.
She said that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) do not believe in the politics of riots. TMC has never taken any decision which is against the constitution or against the people, she added.
"I can sacrifice everything but cannot sacrifice my ideals. We do not divide people. Every day we hear Hindus and Muslims. Now they use the word (infiltrator) 'ghuspathiya'," she added.
She said that this is her second independence war and will not allow CAB to be implemented in West Bengal.
Attacking the central government on the price rise of onion in the country, Mamata said that price rise is a central subject, but the government is only spending on the NRC and CAB.
"A union minister is saying that she doesn't consume onions and garlic. We had sought 200 MT of onions from the Centre. NABARD gave us 20 MT of onions, of them 10 MT were rotten. Government spending only after NRC and CAB," she said.
The CAB was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. It seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghstan and Bangladesh if they faced persecution in their countries.
( With inputs from ANI )