Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of creating panic over National Register of Citizens in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed it has led to six deaths in the state. Addressing a trade unions' meet in New Delhi, she iterated that she will not allow NRC exercise in the state. "NRC exercise will not be carried out in Bengal or anywhere else in country, it was conducted in Assam due to Assam accord of 1985," she asserted.
The Assam Accord, a tripartite deal signed by the then Rajiv Gandhi government, Assam administration and the All Assam Students' Union, had ended a six-year violent agitation against alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. "Shame on the BJP for creating panic over NRC in Bengal, it has led to six deaths. Have faith in me, I will never allow the exercise in Bengal," Mamata said without elaborating further.
Criticising the saffron party for "undermining democratic values" in the country, the chief minister said." Mamata said the BJP is not talking about job losses or the downward spiral of Indian economy and all it wants to do is serve own political interests. Referring to the recent Jadavpur University fracas on September 19, she said the people of Bengal have seen what they (ABVP and BJP) did at the institute. "They try to use wield power everywhere, bulldoze everything," the Chief Minister added.
