Lok Sabha elections 2019: Mamata Banerjee attacked BJP over Assam NRC
In her first rally in Assam for the national elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the centre and the BJP-led state government for what she claimed was leaving out some 40 lakh people from the draft citizens' list.
Ms Banerjee said the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) as well as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill were hastily pushed to polarise voters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections that begin on April 11.
"Over 40 lakh people were left out of the NRC draft. It was not just Muslims, some 22 lakh Hindus, many Gorkhas, people from Bihar and even from Tamil Nadu and Kerala were left out," Ms Banerjee said.
"We sent our leaders (to Assam) within two days. But they were not allowed by the Assam government to get out of the airport and were harassed. FIRs were filed against me in Assam, so I could not enter that state. But let me tell them, like we won Bengal, we will also win Assam in a few years," the Bengal chief minister said.
BJP chief Amit shah, who was also campaigning in Assam on Friday, hit back at the Trinamool leader, asking people to give BJP five more years to detect and deport "the last illegal migrant".
Although the Trinamool does not have an organisational base in Assam, it's fighting in nine out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the north-east state.
At a rally at Ahutguri in central Assam, Amit Shah said the citizens' list was a testimony that the BJP in the centre and the state were committed to protecting the indigenous people and driving out illegal migrants.
Assam will vote in three phases on April 11, 18 and 23. Results will be out on May 23.