Hailakandi: Some BJP leaders from Assam launched a scathing attack on Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday for her "conspiracy" remark on the NRC update and cautioned her not to interfere in the affairs of others states.
Former Union minister and veteran BJP leader from Silchar, Kabindra Purkayastha, said in a release that Mamata's comment was "unwanted" and cautioned her not to interfere in the internal affairs of another state. He said Mamata did not know the history of Assam and hasn't been asked to solve the state's problems. He suggested that she stay away from the issue.
Assam BJP spokesperson Rajdeep Roy said Mamata's comment was "baseless". He said the update of 1951 National Register of Citizens (NRC) was being monitored by the Supreme Court and, as such, she couldn't say that the state government was conspiring to oust 1.4 crore Bengalis from Assam. He added that she should not interfere in the matter.
He said they have urged the administration to intensify the verification process for the next phase, which will begin on Friday, so that the second draft NRC list can be released at the earliest.
Another veteran BJP leader from Barak Valley, Mission Ranjan Das, said there was no conspiracy and suggested that Mamata support the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament when it is introduced.
Mamata had purportedly told a public meeting in Bengal's Birbhum district on Wednesday that the ongoing NRC update in Assam was a "conspiracy" to expel Bengalis from the state. She compared it with the Bongal Kheda movement, an ethnic cleansing campaign that had started in Assam's Brahmaputra Valley in the 1960s.
She warned that Bengal would not keep quite if Bengalis were victimised and urged party MPs to register their protest in Parliament.
Her comment came after the first NRC draft list, published on December 31, missed the names of a huge number of persons from Barak Valley, which is dominated by Bengali-speaking people.
In Hailakandi district, the names of 2,17,571 people, out of 7,19,840 (30 per cent), appeared in the first list. In Karimganj, 5,07,840 names, out of 13,24,096 - 38.35 per cent - appeared in the list.
In Cachar, 6,42,679 names, out of 18,23,302 - 35.25 per cent - appeared in the list. Many organisations have raised their voices against the huge number of names pending in Barak Valley.
Assam Public Works president Abhijit Sarma, who had filed a PIL in the Supreme Court for updating the NRC. said her statement was contempt of court, adds PTI.
"The Assam and the central government's first responsibility would be to file a contempt of court application in the apex court on Friday with all evidence," he said.
