Rajnath Singh, Mamata Banerjee clash over CAA

Kolkata: A war of words ensued between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday over the controversial CAA.

The Defence Minister said that the CAA will be implemented at any cost across the country while the Chief Minister said that she would never allow it to be implemented.

“CAA is meant to give citizenship to those who left countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan for religious reasons. However, Mamata Banerjee and her party may oppose it but CAA will be implemented in the country at any cost,” Rajnath Singh said at an election rally in Jalangi, Murshidabad.

The Defense Minister said that it is unfortunate that inter-religion tensions are being nurtured by the ruling party in West Bengal, which is the land of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

“There is anarchy in West Bengal,” the Defense Minister said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who was addressing an election rally in the neighbouring Balurghat area in North Bengal, said that she will not allow CAA to be implemented in the country.

“They (BJP) are questioning my authority to challenge CAA and NRC. Who are they to question me? When I said that we would not allow the implementation of CAA and NRC, I meant it. They tried to implement NRC in Assam. Trinamool Congress was the only political party to oppose it,” the Chief Minister said.

She also accused the BJP of only concentrating on selling the assets of the country during the last 10 years.

“You have sold the country’s assets. You have changed the history of the country. Have you done any good work? You also stopped the flow of central funds for the 100-day job scheme under MGNREGA,” the Chief Minister said.

IANS