International Desk

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (March 12) bluntly expressed her displeasure over the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Narendra Modi government according to the Indian newspapers.

A day after the Centre notified the rules for the implementation of the CAA, she said that it lacks clarity and asked the people of the state not to apply for citizenship, saying they would be "turned into refugees and infiltrators" and "deprived of government schemes" if they did.Addressing an administrative meeting at Habra in the state's North 24 Parganas district, she said the CAA was linked to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and urged people not to fall under BJP's 'trap' before the coming Lok Sabha polls."

The Union Home Ministry issued a notification on Monday evening announcing the implementation of the CAA. Mamata has accused the BJP of trying to provoke unrest in the country.

"Those who are being asked to apply, let me tell you…Once you apply you will be marked as refugees despite being citizens. Such people will become infiltrators once they apply. It is a game of taking away rights. If you apply, there is no guarantee whether you will get citizenship or not. You will lose your property. You will be deprived of government schemes. This is BJP's plan before the polls. All civil rights will be taken away if you apply. Think a thousand times before applying for this. It is connected with the NRC," she said.

Mamata said she would not allow CAA to be implemented in West Bengal. "I will not let them implement CAA. In my state, I will not let anyone snatch the basic rights of people. For that, if I am required to sacrifice my life, I will do that," she said.

Saying that the Act has been formed to harass people, Mamata pointed out that the United Nations "has categorically stated that refugees should not be displaced and thrown out of a country". "It is basic humanity. Have we ever seen that citizenship is being granted based on religion?" she said.

Terming CAA "dangerous", Mamata said, "This Act is only to harass people and to ensure two seats in elections for them (BJP). The law was passed in 2019. Just ahead of the elections, they have announced it…Clearly they have a vested interest," she added.

Calling the CAA "a conspiracy hatched to snatch away citizenship rights", Mamata said it was a game to divide Bengal again and to drive Bengalis out of the country. "I have doubts whether the Act announced by the Centre is valid or not. There is no clarity. War game before elections. 13 lakh Bengali Hindus were excluded in Assam NRC before polls in 2019 too…many committed suicide. Those who are being asked to apply, once you do, you will be declared illegal infiltrators. They will send you to detention camps," she said.

"They are asking for father's birth certificate… Do you have your father's birth certificate? I don't have one. I don't even know my parents' birth dates…Those who are jumping out of happiness just go through the Act and find out how dangerous it is. It will mark you as refugees and then your properties, your house, your basic rights will be taken away…few may get citizenship but those who will not get it will be sent to a detention camp," Mamata said.