West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday demanded a referendum on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens under the United Nations’ watch. The CAA has been passed by both houses of Parliament. Mamata has stood against the implementation of the CAA as well as the National Register of Citizens (NRC), an exercise that Home Minster Amit Shah is committed to carry out in this term of the Narendra Modi-led government. Banerjee is against both — the Citizenship Law and the NRC.
“Let there be an impartial organisation like United Nations or National Human Rights Commission hold a referendum to see how many people are in favour or against the Citizenship Amendment Act,” ANI quoted Mamata Banerjee as saying. “If BJP has guts, it should go for a UN-monitored referendum on the amended Citizenship Act and NRC,” The Indian Express quoted Banerjee as saying at a rally in Kolkata.
Protesting against the Citizenship Act and NRC, Mamata Banerjee said: “Suddenly after 73 years of independence, we have to prove that we are Indian citizens. Where was BJP’s head and tail at that time, BJP is dividing the country.” She urged the protesters not to stop the demonstration until the CAA is revoked.
The passage of CAA in the Parliament has evoked a strong response from a section of people across the country who are now against the law.
Today, protests were organised in Delhi, UP, Bengal, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The demonstrations are also taking place in various universities against the CAA and NRC. Earlier today, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said that the central government was scared of students. “This government is scared of one of India’s most accomplished historians for speaking to the media on CAB NRC and holding a poster of Gandhiji.”
Following the protests, section 144 has been imposed in various parts of the country. However, protestors at some places defied section 144 after which they were detained by the police.