PM attacks Mamata on her home turf, makes strong pitch for Citizenship Bill

Thakurnagar (WB), February 2

As a raucous debate rages on over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for the contentious piece of legislation on Saturday, insisting it would bring “justice and respectability” to those who faced religious persecution.

Modi, who took his electoral battle to strident critic West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s turf, launched a blistering attack against the state’s ruling TMC, accusing it of orchestrating violence targeting BJP workers and claiming she had become jittery due to people’s love for his party.

“India got Independence after splitting it into pieces. People thought they can make a living in the country of their choice, but there they faced atrocities and torture because of communal malice...Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Parsis.

“It was because of this that we brought the Citizenship Bill. These people have no place to go other than India. Should they not be given justice and respectability? I ask the TMC to support the Bill and facilitate its passage in Parliament,” Modi said while addressing an event of the Scheduled Caste Matua community.

The Matuas originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal at the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution.

With an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal, they can influence results in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts. However, many of them are claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.

Modi’s spirited defence of the Citizenship Bill in Matua heartland is apparently aimed at creating a new vote base for the BJP, just a couple of months or a little more ahead of the general elections.

The Prime Minister’s address to a rally of ‘Matua Mahasangh’, which is aligned to the BJP, came days after 10 political parties of the northeast, most of which are members of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), besides the JD(U), the saffron party’s key ally in Bihar, decided to oppose the Bill, calling it detrimental to the interests of the locals.

Addressing the well-attended rally, where his speech was welcomed with loud cheers, Modi accused Banerjee and the TMC of unleashing violence against BJP workers.

“Now, I can understand why Didi (Banerjee) and her party are indulging in violence, killing innocent people. She has become jittery because of your love for us,” he told the gathering, which grew restive barely minutes into Modi’s address.

Stampede

The prime minister cut short his speech at the rally after a stampede broke out at the venue in which many people were injured.

 Several women and children were among the wounded, a senior police officer said.

While Modi was addressing the well-attended rally of the Matua community, hundreds of supporters waiting outside the venue tried to barge into the inner ring of the rally ground, leading to chaos and causing security scare.

Senior police and SPG officials tried to stop people from crossing the barricade and enter the no-man's security zone. Later, police officials formed a human chain to stop people from going near the stage where the prime minster stood addressing the crowd.

Modi tried to pacify the crowd by asking them to stay put in their places and stop trying to come to the front of the inner ring. However, his pleas went unheard as supporters started throwing chairs inside the no-man's zone in front of the stage to make space for others to stand in the inner ring, which was earmarked for women.

Following the commotion, Modi abruptly cut short his speech, saying he has another rally to attend and decided to leave the venue.

Several women and children fainted during the stampede situation and were rushed to the hospital for primary treatment, the police officer said.

Some children lost their parents in the chaos, and were taken to a nearby help desk. They were later handed over to their parents.

The state BJP leadership, however, claimed that only a few people were injured.

"Very few people were injured. They sustained minor injuries. One person was taken to the hospital and was released after primary treatment," BJP state general secretary Pratap Banerjee said.

Slamming the BJP, TMC North 24 Paraganas district president Jyotipriyo Mullick said, "Those who can't organise a rally in a disciplined manner should stop dreaming of conquering Bengal. The people of Bengal stand with Mamata Banerjee". The incident brought back memories of Modi's rally in West Midnapore district on July 16 last year when a make-shift stage collapsed leading to injuries to several persons.

The Trinamool Congress has decided to take out a protest march near the site of the prime minister's rally on Saturday evening wearing black masks. PTI