West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said as long as she is alive, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will not be implemented in the state. Addressing a public meeting at Naihati in North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee said, “As long as I am alive, CAA will not be implemented in Bengal. No one has to leave the country or the state. No one can snatch away the rights of the people of the country, like citizenship.” This was Banerjee’s sixth public meeting to protest the new law since the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Parliament earlier this month. The West Bengal Chief Minister also said she won’t let the BJP set up detention centres in the state. “They (BJP) are saying they will set up detention camps here. Who is in power here? We are. I am ready to give my life. I won’t allow the BJP to set up detention camps even if I die,” she said. She said detention camps were set up in Assam because the BJP is in power there. “It is the work of the state government. They could do it in Assam because there is a BJP government. If they are an elected government, we are also an elected government,” said Banerjee. The TMC supremo said the new law would turn Indians into foreigners. “Do you know what the new Act says? It says you were an Indian, and now you are a foreigner and would have to apply to get your rights. Then they would decide whether to give you rights,” she said. Banerjee also expressed her support to student protests across the country against the new law. “Why can’t students protest against a draconian law? The Centre is taking action against protesting students and is rusticating them from universities. This is very unfortunate. They have all the right to protest. Attempts must not be made to stop their movement,” she said.
