After the Delhi street, along with roads in many other cities, turned into a battle ground on Sunday as students of Jamia Milia Islamia University held protest marches. Soon, many other varsities, including the Aligarh Muslim University, joined the battle in solidarity with Jamia students, who, reportedly, were scuffled by the Delhi Police after the cops entered the varsity campus and detained several students for alleged involvement in violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
As the entire issue is still burning, with the Delhi government shutting various schools in the areas nearby Jamia, West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too joined the bandwagon and protested her state today. Hundreds of her party leaders and supporters walked with her carrying posters and flags against the controversial law.
Underliningher fierce opposition to the citizenship law, which, she says will not be allowed in Bengal, the CM marched from a statue of BR Ambedkar on Red Road to JorasankoThakurbari – the childhood home of Rabindranath Tagore, in the state.
However, Mamata’s move was dubbed unconstitutional by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, whose ties with the Chief Minister have been tense and acrimonious.
“I am extremely anguished that CM (chief minister) and Ministers are to spearhead rally against CAA, the law of the land. This is unconstitutional. I call upon CM to desist from this unconstitutional and inflammatory act at this juncture and devote to retrieve the grim situation,” the Governor tweeted.
Paying no heed to the Governor’s thoughts, Mamata dared the centre to dismiss her government for not implementing the law.
“If you want to dismiss my government, you can, but I will never allow citizenship law and NRC in Bengal. They thought Mamata is alone. But now so many are with us. If your cause is right, people will come. Remember eklachalo re,” Mamata Banerjee declared.
Ahead of the rally, the Chief Minister administered a pledge to the participants, calling for peace. “We are all citizens. Our ideal is harmony of all religions. We won’t let anyone leave Bengal. We will live in peace and free of anxiety. We won’t allow NRC and CAA in Bengal. We have to maintain peace,” read the pledge.
