West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday, December 16 hit the streets to lead a huge protest rally against the controversial law and the NRC. She administered a pledge to people not to allow any National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise and implementation of the new citizenship law (CAA) in the state as she hit the streets to lead a rally against the controversial law and the NRC

Mamata Banerjee
Image: Twitter

Taking the pledge after garlanding the statue of BR Ambedkar on Indira Gandhi Sarani (erstwhile Red Road) in the city hub, Banerjee said nobody would have to leave Bengal and called for harmony and peace among people of all religions.

We are all citizens. Our ideal is the 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 - Mamata Banerjee, CM West Bengal 

"Once I was alone. Today Delhi's CM says that he won't allow this. Bihar's CM says that he won't allow NRC, I tell him don't allow Citizenship Amendment Act, too. MP's CM said that, Punjab's CM said that, Chhattisgarh's CM said that, Kerala's CM said that, everyone has to say it." 

Mamata Banerjee Tweet

State Governor calls it an "unconstitutional and inflammatory act".

"Extremely anguished" over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and ministers spearheading a rally against the new citizenship law (CAA), state governor Jagdeep Dharnkhar called upon her to desist from the "unconstitutional and inflammatory act".

Mamata Banerjee
Image: Twitter

"I am extremely anguished that CM and Ministers are to spearhead rally against CAA, law of the land," Dhankhar said in the tweet, urging Banerjee to instead devote her time to retrieve the "grim situation" in the backdrop of widespread violence in the state against the legislation.

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 -  Jagdeep Dharnkhar, State governor

In another tweet, Dhankhar expressed his gratitude to intellectuals and cultural personalities who have appealed to the protestors to eschew violence.

"Gratitude to Intellectuals, filmmakers, actors and stage artists who urged protestors to shun violence. I hope others in such a category would similarly come forward. We are constitutionally obliged to follow law of the land and as Governor enjoined to ensure it and am at it," he said.

Vandalising public transport

Trains, railway stations, train tracks, toll plazas and buses have been torched and vandalised and train and vehicular movement thrown into jeopardy in the anti-CAA protests that began in Bengal on Friday.