If Mamata Doesn't Implement Citizenship Bill, the Centre Will, Says BJP Leader Vijayvargiya

Kolkata: BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her opposition to the "historic" Citizenship Amendment Bill and said if the TMC government does not implement it, the Centre will.

Stressing that the legislation should not be confused with the NRC exercise in Assam, he said the bill was meant to protect minorities facing of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and the citizens' register to weed out

infiltrators.

"Mamata Banerjee has been opposing the bill. The TMC should come out clean why they are opposing Hindu refugees from getting citizenship. I dare TMC government not to implement it and deprive the Hindu refugees from getting citizenship.

"If TMC does not implement CAB, the Centre will take steps to do it," he said.

Continuing his attack on the TMC supremo, Vijayvargiya said that it was due to her politics of minority appeasement that the bordering districts of West Bengal have become a hub of infiltrators.

"Why does she have to oppose the historic bill? She is simply afraid of losing her minority vote bank," he said.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday approved the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, completing the legislative procedure for giving Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The BJP leader that for TMC infiltrators who are eating into jobs and facilities are welcome to the country but those who are refugees coming to save their honour are unwelcome.

"This is not only political double standards by TMC but inhuman too", he said.

Reacting to Vijayvargiya's statement, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said neither Banerjee nor the TMC government need to take lessons from BJP on being more compassionate towards refugees.

"The less BJP talks about being more compassionate towards refugees the better. We all have seen how BJP has turned 14 lakhs Hindus into refugees through the NRC in Assam.

"They (BJP) should first answer questions on it and then lecture others. We stick to our stand that both NRC and CAB are against the principles of the Constitution," he added.