Mamata renews pledge against citizen matrix : We will support Trinamul in the Assembly elections- Rajbanshi leader Bangshibadan Burman

District leaders asked to be on alert to BJP functionaries from Assam who would be deputed in north bengal

Mamata Banerjee addresses the public meeting in Cooch Behar on Wednesday.:Picture by Main Uddin Chisti

Main Uddin Chisti   |   TT   |   Cooch Behar   |   17.12.20  :  Chief minister Mamata Banerjee repeated her pledge against the Narendra Modi government’s citizenship matrix on Wednesday to revive her support base in Cooch Behar — the district that shares border with Assam where the National Register of Citizens (NRC) had been published last year.

“We will never allow the BJP to implement the NRC, CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) or the NPR (National Population Register) in Bengal. The BJP is playing divisive politics by using these tools and we will not let it happen,” Mamata told a public meeting at the Rashmela Ground here. 

After the publication of the NRC in Assam, its repercussions were felt in districts like Cooch Behar and Alipurduar. Hundreds of families living in these districts had expressed concern over the future of their family members who stay in Assam and could not make it to the NRC.

A senior leader here pointed out that there were hundreds of women from north Bengal districts, particularly Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, who got married in Assam. Also, there are others who have roots in these districts but stay in Assam.

“Many of them could not find their names in the NRC and discontentment was brewing in their families. Mamata will try to use the issue to her advantage,” he said.

Mamata and state leaders of Trinamul, sources said, also passed two directives to their colleagues in Cooch Behar.

First, they have been asked to work together as infighting is one of the key issues in Cooch Behar that the state leadership found tough to handle. A section of party leaders feels presence of multiple lobbies in the party was one of the reasons for the BJP’s emergence as a force in the district.

Second, the district leaders have been asked to be on alert to BJP functionaries from Assam who would be deputed in north bengal.

At the meeting, Mamata also tried to woo Rajbanshi voters by bringing Bangshibadan Burman to the dais.

Burman, a leader of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association —  that is believed to have clout in the community — also holds posts in the development & cultural board and the language academy of Rajbanshis which were constituted by the state government.

“We will support Trinamul in the Assembly elections next year. Mamata Banerjee has done a lot for us and north Bengal as a whole,” the Rajbanshi leader said in his speech.

The chief minister also spoke about Nasya Sheikh— a Muslim community of the region. For the past few months, they have been demanding a development body. 

“If we can form so many development boards….. we can also look into this demand,” said Mamata.