Kolkata: West Bengal will not allow implementation of the amended Citizenship Act “under any circumstances”, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday as she announced a series of protest programmes across the state to protest the contentious law.
“We will never allow NRC exercise and Citizenship Act in Bengal. We will not implement the amended Act, even though it has been passed in Parliament,” Banerjee said, accusing the centre of forcing non-BJP states to implement the law.
“The Citizenship Act will divide India. As long as we are in power, not a single person in the state will have to leave the country,” the chief minister added.
Referring to the Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s scheduled visit to Assam, Banerjee said it would be a “blot” on the country’s reputation if he scraps the plan, amid protests over the Citizenship Act across Northeast.
