Bengal Assembly passes anti-CAA resolution, fourth state to do so

Kolkata : West Bengal became the fourth state on Monday to pass an anti-CAA resolution in the state assembly. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the protest "is not only of minorities, I thank my Hindu brothers for leading this protest from the forefront".

Other than West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan are the other three states which had passed the resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"In Bengal, we won't allow CAA, NPR, and NRC. We will fight peacefully," Mamata Banerjee said during her address at the state assembly. "As per the CAA, you have to become a foreigner to become a citizen... this is a terrible game, pushing people towards death. Don't fall into their trap," she added.

"The label of doubtful citizens, detention centers... is unacceptable. The way things are, it was better not to have been born. Today, people are scared that they may have to leave this country. They are queuing up for all kinds of cards," Mamata Banerjee said.

She also tagged Bharatiya Janata Party as the 'brand ambassador of Pakistan', said Mamata Banerjee. "They always talk of Pakistan and less of Hindustan".

BJP, on the other hand, has mentioned that there is no relevance of passing such resolutions in the state assemblies as the states are constitutionally bound to follow a law passed by Centre in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The Citizenship Amendment Act makes religion, for the first time, the test of Indian citizenship. The government says it will help non-Muslim refugees from three Muslim-dominated neighbouring countries if they fled to India because of religious persecution.