West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been vocal about her criticism of the Assam NRC draft that was published on Monday, 31 July. Discussing the issue with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, she said that there would be “bloodshed” and “civil war” if NRC was implemented in her state.
But Banerjee, reportedly, had a different opinion 13 years ago, when she was speaking in the Parliament.
According to Union Minister Arun Jaitley, Banerjee, who was then an Opposition lawmaker, had said that the “infiltration” of Bangladeshis into the state had turned into a “disaster”.
Why Change Position: Asks Jaitley
“Sovereignty and citizenship are the soul of India. Imported vote banks are not,” Jaitley wrote in a post titled ‘National Register of Citizens – Sovereignty vs Vote Bank’.
He accused the West Bengal chief minister of changing her position on the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration.
“Though Mrs Indira Gandhi and Mr Rajiv Gandhi took a particular position in 1972 and 1985 for the deletion and deportation of foreigners, Rahul Gandhi takes a contrarian position and his party turns turtle. Similarly, the BJP ally of 2005, Ms Mamata Banerjee, took a particular position. As a federal front leader, she now talks to the contrary. Can India's sovereignty be decided by such fickle minds and fragile hands?” Jaitley wrote in his blog.
“Hurled Sheaf Of Papers At Deputy Speaker”
According to NDTV, Banerjee moved a motion to discuss a “very serious matter”, which was turned down by the then speaker Speaker Somnath Chatterjee. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal, on a CPM ticket, which was then governing the state.
When her motion was denied by the speaker, she “hurled a sheaf of papers” at the Speaker’s deputy Charan Singh Atwal. She also resigned from her seat after this incident.
Mamata Calls Draft ‘Vote Politics’
Banerjee has vociferously condemned the Assam NRC draft that left out over 40 lakh people, and said that the Narendra Modi-led government was doing “vote politics”.
According to IANS, Mamata Banerjee said to media persons on Monday:
They (left out people) were made refugees by the Assam and central government. Many people submitted all the documents. Yet, they were not considered, just excluded. Some of them have been staying for more than 50 years.
(With inputs from IANS, PTI and NDTV.)
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