West Bengal Minister Amit Mitra on Tuesday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is "scaring" people in the state with the NRC pitch amidst Durga Puja celebrations.
"Amid celebrations of Durga Puja, Amit Shah is scaring our people with NRC pitch in Bengal. This is threatening a section of people. Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, and Christian refugees will not be included in the process. This is unconstitutional," Mitra said.
Asserting that no "intruder" will be allowed to stay in the country while refugees belonging to Hindu and some other religions will be given citizenship, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the BJP-led government will bring National Register of Citizens (NRC) after Citizenship Amendment Bill is passed in Parliament.
Addressing a public awakening programme in Kolkata on NRC, Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of speaking "lies" that millions of Hindus will have to leave the state if NRC is implemented in West Bengal.
"Mamata Di is saying she will not allow NRC to happen in Bengal. I am telling you that we will not allow even a single intruder inside India. We will expel all of them. Mamatadi is saying that millions of Hindus will have to leave West Bengal. There is no bigger lie than this. I want to assure the people of Bengal from all communities that nothing of this sort is going to happen," Shah said.
Shah said that he had come to the state to assure the residents that refugees belonging to Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, and Christian religions will be not be asked to leave the country.
"We will not allow any refugee to go and we will not allow any intruder to stay," he said.
The Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to make migrants, who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghstan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.
Shah said the refugees will have the same rights as any other citizen.
"I today want to assure Hindu,Sikh, Jain, Buddhist and Christian refugees, you will not be forced to leave India by the Centre. Don't believe rumours," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )