The Trinamool Congress will hold rallies on Saturday across West Bengal, except in state capital Kolkata, to protest the publication of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens in Assam, PTI reported. The party will also observe ‘Dhikkar Dibas’, or a day to reproach the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, on August 11 and 12.
“Barring Kolkata, we will organise rallies across the state in protest against the NRC,” party secretary-general and West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said, adding that a separate rally would be organised in the city on Sunday.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah will address a public rally in Kolkata on Saturday. On Wednesday, Shah told reporters that he would go to Kolkata irrespective of whether he got the police department’s permission. “If the state government wants, it can arrest me,” he had said.
Chatterjee accused the Assam government of “deliberately omitting” Bengalis from the NRC draft, which was published on July 30. Around 40 lakh people of 3.29 crore applicants did not find a mention in the draft. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also questioned the exclusion, saying, “It is a plan to throw out Bengali speaking people and Biharis. Consequences will be felt in our state also.”
“We demand that these names be included in the list as they are also Indians,” said Chatterjee. “You cannot make a person a refugee in his own country.”
Last week, the party had observed a ‘black day’ across the state after a group of its leaders were detained at Assam’s Silchar airport. The eight-member delegation was not allowed to leave the airport while on its way to the city to “assess the situation” following the publication of the NRC draft.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!