Anti-CAA protesters should be cane-charged or shot dead if they damage public property: WB BJP chief

In remarks that could generate controversy, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Saturday said that protesters who damage public property during agitation against Citizenship Amendment Act should be cane-charged or shot dead.

"Those who damage public property will be either cane-charged or shot dead," said Ghosh while addressing a gathering in support of the CAA here.

He said that if students "gherao" party office against the Citizenship Amendment Act, they would not be able to walk back on their feet.

The BJP leader was reacting to student organizations' plan to protest at state BJP headquarters to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed exercise of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"If anyone went to our party office even by mistake, they should carry stretchers with them because they won't be able to come back by walking. They will directly go to hospitals," Ghosh said at a gathering here.

The protesters, however, changed their plan to protest at the BJP headquarters and carried out a march instead which culminated at Mahajati Sadan.

Ghosh had said earlier today said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was speaking the language of Pakistan regarding the CAA.

"Mamata Banerjee speaks the language of Pakistan. Like Pakistan, which demands UN intervention in everything, Mamata Banerjee has also demanded UN mediation on the matter of CAA," he said.

In November, Ghosh claimed that cows in the country produce milk that has gold in it, adding that foreign breeds are not "our gaumata" but "aunties".