Taking a tough stand on the Citizenship Amendment Law passed by Indian Parliament on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee, the chief of India's West Bengal state, said on Friday that she would not allow the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to "bulldoze" states into implementing it.
Reiterating her determination to safeguard all sections of society residing in West Bengal from the various clauses of the new law, Banerjee maintained the law is set to divide the nation going forward.
Addressing reporters in the State capital city of Kolkata, Banerjee said: "We will never allow the NRC (National Register of Citizens) and the Citizenship Act in Bengal. We will not implement the amended Act even though it has been passed in parliament. The BJP can't just bulldoze states into implementing it. "
She revealed that she had cancelled her visit to New Delhi next week to lead a series of protests against the controversial law across West Bengal state between 16 and 18 December.
"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," Banerjee said.
The controversial law has fuelled tensions in India's northeastern region, sparking violent protests in the states of Assam and Tripura in particular. Protesters have vowed to continue their agitation despite the government imposing prohibitory orders.
On Tuesday, the Indian parliament's lower house, Lok Sabha, passed the controversial bill, in a 311-80 vote, allowing citizenship for some religious minorities. The following day, the upper house, the Rajya Sabha, passed the Citizen Amendment Bill by a narrow 125-105 vote. On Thursday, President Ram Nath Kovind approved the bill signing it into law.
The National Register of Citizens (NRC), a register maintained by the Indian government, contains names and specific relevant information to identify Indian citizens in Assam state. Initially, the registry was explicitly conceived for Assam. The NRC has caused a wave of concern among a lot of people. They fear authorities may pressure them to prove their Indian citizenship by scrutinizing various documents.
