The West Bengal Assembly on Monday passed a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) which was moved by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.
After Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, West Bengal is the fourth state to pass a resolution against the CAA. The state assembly had on September 6 last year, passed a resolution against the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Speaking at the Assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "This protest is not only of minorities but of all. I thank my Hindu brothers for leading this protest from the forefront. In West Bengal, we will not allow CAA, National Population Register (NPR) and NRC. We will fight peacefully."
Banerjee also said that a situation of intolerance is being created by the BJP across the country.
"Intolerance situation is being created across the country. Indian Constitution is totally misused for their political purpose. Those who are trying to divide India, we will not support them. BJP doesn't get to decide what we eat, it is not acceptable," she said.
Asserting that Hindu religion never teaches division, the TMC supremo said, "It is inhumane to provide citizenship based on religion. There is a need to fight against it."
Taking a jibe at BJP, Banerjee further said, "People who are raising their voice against the government are being declared as 'anti-nationals.' Let us be united and raise our voices against this government on issues pertaining to CAA, NRC and NPR.
"We will fight against those who try to destroy the Constitution and CAA is against the spirit of Constitution and is against the democracy its people," the Chief Minister said.
Slamming TMC, CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned the delay of the introduction of the anti-CAA resolution in the Assembly.
"We had said earlier that we will pass the resolution. We would have been in the place of Kerala. What was the reason that it became so late?" he questioned.
The TMC has been a vocal opponent of CAA and NRC and has made it clear that it will be not implemented in the state.
For quite some time, Banerjee has been orgsing mega rallies against CAA and NRC and has launched attacks on the BJP-led central government over these issues.
( With inputs from ANI )