Kolkata: In yet another attack on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged discrimination against Bengalis and Biharis in the Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The fire-brand TMC leader alleged that nearly two lakh Biharis were left out of the final draft of the NRC in Assam.
"In Assam, around two lakh Biharis did not find a place in the NRC draft. Several Bengalis were also excluded from the list. Majority of those left out of the draft were people who did not hail from Assam," the Chief Minister said.
For me, humanity is the most important thing. In Assam names of Biharis have been removed along with names of Bengalis&others. But I can proudly say that in Bengal this has neither happened nor will it ever happen: WB CM Mamata Banerjee at Hindi Mahotsav&Samman Samaroh in Kolkata pic.twitter.com/wyUQV5qDR3
— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2018
The West Bengal Chief Minister said this while addressing a programme hosted by the Rashtriya Bihari Samaj in Kolkata on Friday evening.
During her speech, Mamata asserted that there would be no discrimination against Biharis in West Bengal.
The controversial NRC draft, which was published on July 30, featured over 2.89 crore names out of nearly 3.29 crore applicants.
Around 40.07 lakh applicants were left out of the final document, touted to be a proof of Assamese identity.
The TMC chief urged people to wait for the declaration of the final draft of the register following the disposal of claims, objections and corrections.
She, however, assured that there will be no ill-treatment against Biharis in her state West Bengal.
''Biharis will never be treated as outsiders,'' she said.
"This kind of treatment was never meted out to Biharis in West Bengal in the past, nor will it be the case in future. Long live Bengali-Bihari unity," she stated.
At several occasions in past, the Trinamool Congress supremo had slammed the BJP over NRC publication, stating that "Indian citizens have become refugees in their own land".
She alleged that the exclusion of over 40 lakh people was an "attempt to evict the Bengalis and Biharis from Assam".
A total of five FIRs have been registered against Banerjee for her comments on NRC exercise since its publication on July 30.
(With PTI Inputs)
