'Ekla cholo re', says Mamata on CAA, NRC; leaves opposition a

"If needed, I will fight alone," a livid Mamata Banerjee declared in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday and said she will boycott a meeting called by Congress's interim president Sonia Gandhi on January 13 over campus violence and the CAA, exposing the opposition faultlines on the issues.

Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) president, was angry over the incidents of violence in her state during a trade union strike called by organisations affiliated to the Left and the Congress over the Centre's "anti-people" policies, including economic measures and livewire issues such as the new citizenship law and a pan-India National Register of Citizens (NRC), on Wednesday.

"I have decided to boycott the meeting convened by Sonia Gandhi on January 13 in New Delhi as I do not support the violence that the Left and the Congress unleashed in West Bengal yesterday (Wednesday)," she announced on the floor of the Assembly when the opposition insisted that the House pass a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

The Congress, however, said Banerjee was invited to the opposition meeting and it was up to her to attend it.

"I am not aware of any decision of Mamata Banerjee. As far as I know, the Congress party has raised its voice against the CAA and NRC inside and outside Parliament and opposition leaders have been invited for the meeting on January 13. Whether she will come or not, I cannot say it now," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters in New Delhi, when asked about the TMC chief's decision.

The development comes a couple of days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled two-day visit to the city to attend several government programmes.

The chief minister who is an invitee to Modi's programmes organised by Kolkata Port Trust is yet to decide whether or not to attend them, party sources said.

Banerjee said since the West Bengal Assembly had adopted a resolution against a pan-India NRC in September last year, which denounced according Indian citizenship to minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan on the basis of religion, there was no need for a fresh resolution.

As opposition MLAs insisted on a fresh resolution, the tempestuous leader launched into a harangue, defending her stance and declaring that she will not attend the meeting called by Gandhi.

"You people follow one policy in West Bengal and a totally contradictory policy in Delhi. I do not want to be on the same page with you. If needed, I will fight alone," she said, as she mounted an onslaught on the Congress and Left members.

"I was the first to launch an movement against CAA NRC," she said. "What the Left and the Congress are doing in the name of the CAA-NRC is not a movement but vandalism."
A temperamental Banerjee also sought the "forgiveness" of opposition leaders who will attend the meeting called by Gandhi, saying "It was I who had mooted the idea. But, after what happened yesterday in my state, it will not be possible for me to attend the meeting."