Mamata Banerjee Renews Criticism of CAA: Calls for District Magistrates to Grant Citizenship

On Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister, stated that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was a forerunner to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and suggested that district magistrates be tasked with granting citizenship to individuals.

District magistrates used to be able to provide citizenship cards, but that authority has since been taken away. We want people to exercise their rights, and those who require assistance can contact the district magistrates, thus this should be brought back. The CAA is associated with the NRC and will not let the BJP to carry out its malicious plans. "The BJP is merely trying to incite fear among people nationwide in order to garner votes ahead of the elections," Mamata stated during a press conference held at Uttarkanya, the state branch secretariat in Siliguri.

Over the past several days, Mamata, who has been vocally critical of the CAA and the NRC, has escalated her verbal attacks on the saffron ecosystem in response to the Center's notification of the act's regulations.

"They want to make Muslims refugees; they have ignored Muslims." There has been demonstrations against the CAA even in BJP-ruled states like Assam. Approximately 13 lakh Hindus and even one lakh Gorkhas were left out of the previous NRC in Assam. This demonstrates that other communities are unsafe in addition to Muslims. The chief minister claimed that the BJP was demeaning Hinduism and attempting to spread a new interpretation of the faith.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan declared that the state would not adopt the CAA guidelines when they were announced.

Additionally, Assam's chief minister, Biswa Sarma, has threatened to quit if anyone in the state obtains citizenship through the CAA without first submitting an application for inclusion in the NRC.

These statements from him followed violent demonstrations in Assam when several groups claimed that thousands of people would enter the state if the CAA was put into effect.

Mamata also rejected accepting the Center's yesterday clarification on CAA.

The laws are not clear at all. People's interests are being served by it, and we believe it will be a significant topic in the next elections. What would happen to the properties owned by a potential CAA applicant? She asked, "How can one obtain old records like parents' birth certificates?"

Mamata also mentioned CAA while she was at Uttarkanya for a public service distribution event.

People who relocate from their home nation to another receive citizenship from administrative officials after a predetermined amount of time. However, a novel procedure has been implemented in India. Rather than upholding people's rights, it is discriminatory and would get them into problems, the woman claimed.

On Wednesday, leaders of the saffron camp, who have charged the chief minister with creating false interpretations, reacted once more.

"She is divisive and divisive in her voting on CAA by making incorrect remarks. Such tactics are certain to failure, according to BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar.

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