Hindustan Times : Feb 02, 2019, 01:25 PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday over alleged attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the state while seeking support of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party for the Citizenship Amendment Bill that seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.Addressing a public rally at Thakurnagar in 24 North Parganas district of West Bengal, PM Modi said attacked Mamata Banerjee saying, “she is resorting to violence” against her political opponents. “Looking at the response from the people here (Thakurnagar), I now understand why Didi is resorting to violence,” said PM Modi.The prime minister sought support from the TMC for the citizenship bill that is being opposed by many opposition parties. The TMC has opposed the citizenship bill calling it “discriminatory”.“We have brought the citizenship bill for people who had to flee their own country following religious persecution. They have come to India. Shouldn’t they get citizenship here? I ask TMC people to support the citizenship bill in Parliament,” PM Modi said.Thakurnagar and the neighbouring areas have a sizeable population of Matua community, who migrated to West Bengal from erstwhile East Bengal in various phases during 1950s. They are said to be influential in five to six Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal.