'Don't Allow Outsiders to Impose CAA, NRC on you': Mamata Banerjee Attacks BJP in Meghalaya

Shillong: In a veiled attack on the BJP at an election rally in Meghalaya, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her party will not allow people coming from outside to impose CAA and NRC on residents of the northeastern state. She accused the Conrad Sangma government in the state of not undertaking development work and being involved in various scandals.

“Outsiders want to rule here while oppressing you with the National Register of Citizens, the Citizenship Amendment Act, bullets and scandals. Do not tolerate this. Don't allow people coming from outside the state to impose CAA or NRC on you," she said addressing a poll rally in western Meghalaya. "Meghalaya will be run by its people and not from Guwahati or Delhi. We (TMC) won't run it from Bengal. We are your friends and will help you with whatever you need,” Banerjee said.

Slamming the state and central governments for the Mukroh violence, the TMC supremo said, “The Assam police fired at the people according to its own whims. Why were no central teams sent to investigate such an incident.”

At Mukroh in Meghalaya, six people - five from the state and a forest guard from Assam were killed on November 22 in firing by the Assam police. Central teams are dispatched to Bengal "for the smallest of things" but nothing was done at Mukroh. “Shots were fired in (interstate) border areas. So many people died. But the (BJP) leaders did not come to see the devastation,” she said.

Criticising the alleged "divisive propaganda" of the BJP, Banerjee said, “Our biggest identity is that we are humans and love humanity. We (TMC) respect all religions. I believe my first and foremost duty is to be with the people. No religion is bigger than the religion of humanity and standing by the people.”

She urged the people to oust both BJP and the Congress which have been in power in Meghalaya for many years but have denied its people of their right to development.

“They (BJP and Congress) were in power for so many years, but could not even build roads in Meghalaya. No medical colleges, no good roads and no system for healthcare facilities either. There was no development, only scandals,” she said and asked the people to vote in her party's favour in the February 27 state election. "TMC can develop Meghalaya .... Change this government for there is nothing here. No development, but only scandals,” she said.

A number of scandals have rocked Meghalaya for the past few years. They include illegal coal mining and public distribution system scams. The state leader of the opposition Mukul Sangma, who is also the face of TMC in Meghalaya, had on Tuesday alleged a Rs 140 crore land scam in Shillong in which Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and his cabinet ministers are allegedly involved.

Slamming the NPP-led government for the scams, she appealed to the people to punish it by voting against it. “It is time to change this scandalous government. Nothing was done [by the government] to it,” she said.

Slamming the Congress, Banerjee said the party has failed to fulfill its duties as the opposition. “Congress is asking for votes but where is its moral right? I was in Congress but it expelled those who were with me. We are fighting against BJP and every day it is knocking at our doors with ED and the CBI,” she said. TMC will "oust" BJP from Delhi, Banerjee said and asked the people of Meghalaya to vote for her party.