Kolkata, Adopting a more belligerent tone on the CAA and NRC issues, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said she won’t let her state or the county be divided “till the last drop of her blood”.
“Till the last drop of blood, we won’t allow division of Bengal and the nation. Even if they chop off my head, I won’t budge. CAA won’t come into force in Bengal, and there will be no National Register of Citizens exercise,” Banerjee said, addressing a public meeting here.
Continuing to harp on the BJP’s divisive agenda, she said: “Why are you suddenly saying you want to give citizenship to some specific people, but won’t give it to some others?”
She gave examples from everyday life to buttress her point.
“We all live in this country like a family. Can parents in a family say that the son will continue to live, but the daughter won’t be allowed in the house? Or take the example of your body. You need all parts of your body to make you a healthy, complete human being. We can’t say this part will remain, this part won’t.”
Coming down heavily on the BJP, she said 72 years after independence, they were telling refugees they are not Indian citizens.
Reminding the audience about India’s independence in 1947 and the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971- the two momentous events which had triggered a refugee influx to Bengal, Banerjee took potshots at BJP which was formed in 1980.
“Where was BJP in 1971 or 1947?” she asked.
Asking the people not to fall into BJP’s trap, she said her movement would continue till the Citizens Amendment Act was scrapped.
Banerjee said nobody was living in this country at anybody’s mercy.
“We don’t live here at anybody’s mercy. Nor will we leave the country at anybody’s diktat,” she added.
