BJP, RSS to launch campaign to allay fears over NRC

Hitting out at TMC for intentionally creating panic over implementation of NRC in West Bengal, the BJP and the RSS said on Wenesday that they will launch a counter campaign in the state to allay the fear of the people and build public opinion on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The saffron organisations would launch door-to-door campaign in West Bengal to allay the fears of the people over NRC, they said.

Without naming the TMC, a senior state RSS leader said political parties should have supported the Bill in Parliament instead of opposing it if they are worried over the omission of Hindus from the final NRC list in Assam.

"We will start door-to-door campaign soon over NRC and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB). We will tell the general people why NRC is needed to weed out Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators and that we will first implement the CAB to give citizenship to Hindu refugees who have come to this country from neighbouring nations," said a senior state BJP leader.

"The TMC is only creating panic just to instill fear among the masses. We will counter it," he said.

Fear over implementation of the NRC in the state has made hundreds of people to queue up at government and municipal offices here and across West Bengal to collect their birth certificates and other necessary documents.

The fear has been sparked by the alleged omission of about 12 lakh Bengalis from the final National Register of Citizen list in BJP-ruled Assam despite assurances by the TMC government that the NRC will not be allowed in West Bengal.

Apparently referring to TMC's opposition to the Bill, RSS West Bengal secretary Jishnu Basu said a few political parties are creating panic to serve their own vested interests.

"If they (TMC) are so concerned about Hindus then why are they opposing the CAB? They should support it. We want to categorically say that CAB will be passed in Parliament soon to grant citizenship to Hindu refugees. Those who don't want Hindus to get citizenship are opposing the CAB. We will campaign to inform the masses about the need for NRC and CAB," Basu said.

He said the NRC and the CAB are required to protect West Bengal as infiltrators from Bangladesh are taking shelter in the state and are involved in anti-national activities.

"This is not just harmful for the Bengali Hindus but also for Indian Muslims and is equally harmful for the security of our country," Basu said.

The CAB, 2019 provided for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the current norm, even if they do not possess any document.

The legislation was passed by Lok Sabha during its winter session on January 8 but could not be cleared by the upper house and lapsed.

Top BJP leader of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma had said earlier this week that the Centre will reintroduce the CAB in Parliament in November.