Peaceful protests to continue till CAA is revoked: Mamata

Asserting that peaceful protests will continue as long as the new citizenship law is not withdrawn, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned the BJP against "playing with fire".

Speaking at a protest rally in the city, the Trinamool Congress supremo accused the BJP of not keeping its promises and referred to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's remark about putting on hold compensation to families of two people killed in police firing on anti-CAA protesters in Mangaluru.

The government would not give a single rupee to their families if the investigation proved the involvement of two persons in the violence during the December 19 protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the Karnataka CM had told reporters on Wednesday.

The West Bengal chief minister asked students to carry on with their protests. She also told them that she will always be by their side. "Do not fear anybody. I warn the BJP not to play with fire," Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress chief, who lead a protest march from Rajabazar to Mullick Bazar in central Kolkata, alleged that students speaking against the CAA are being threatened by the BJP.

"We express our solidarity with the students of Jamia Millia, IIT Kanpur and other universities who are protesting against the CAA and the NRC," she said.

They have been also asked to vacate hostel rooms, she said.

Thursday's rally by Banerjee was the fifth by her in 11 days in and around the city to build up a movement on the contentious amended citizenship act.

At another gathering at the conclusion of her rally during the day Banerjee hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying "If you chase out everybody (infiltrators) how will you stay?"
Taking a dig at Modi for his comment that rioteers against CAA can be identified by their clothes, Banerjee, a strident critic of the saffron party, said "BJP will use similar clothes to derail the ongoing movement against the CAA."