Thakurnagar (West Bengal), Feb. 2 IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress to support the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament to give the refugees living in India the right to citizenship.
Addressing a rally in West Bengal's Thakurnagar, home to the Dalit Matua community, Modi said India is the only place that can provide shelter to thousands of Hindus, Sikhs and refugees of other communities, who came from neighbouring countries to save themselves from communal violence.
"After the country was divided during independence, thousands of people including the Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis had to take shelter in India due to communal violence.
"These refugees should get the right to citizenship. India is the only place that can provide them shelter," Modi said addressing a packed ground here in North 24 Parganas district.
"That's why our government has come up with Citizenship Amendment Bill. I urge the Trinamool Congress leaders to support the Bill and help the refugee brothers and sisters to get their rights," he said.
The Lok Sabha has already cleared the Bill, which is now pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Taking a swipe at Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Modi said the massive gathering at his rally shows why Banerjee and her party were resorting to violence to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party here.
"After seeing the crowds and the enthusiastic scenes, I understand why didi (elder sister -- as Banerjee is affectionately called) is resorting to violence.
"This is your love, which has scared those who are doing drama of saving democracy and are bent on killing innocent people," he said.
Centre will have to withdraw Bill — Mamata
Kolkata, Feb. 2 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said her party would oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre withdraw the contentious piece of legislation.
She was reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the TMC's support for the passage of the bill, at a rally in Thakunagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.
"The Centre will have to withdraw the Citizenship Bill. There is no question of supporting it. We will oppose it. We will not let him (Modi) succeed," Banerjee said.
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.
Many of them are claimed to have still not got Indian citizenship.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Trinamool Congress had staged a walk out from the Lok Sabha last month demanding that the Bill be sent to a parliamentary panel.
