Mamata Banerjee says 'Ready to talk with PM Modi on CAA' if Centre revokes the Act

In a massive development, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday has agreed to have talks with PM Modi on the amended Citizenship Act (CAA) , but has put a condition to do so. The Trinamool chief who often holds anti-CAA rallies in her state has asked the Centre to revoke the Act prior to holding any such talks. Slamming the Centre terming Opposition parties anti-national, Banerjee said that the protesting against the Centre's decisions does not make one anti-national.

Mamata Banerjee's change in stance: 'Infiltration disaster in Bengal' to 'No NRC in WB'

Mamata Banerjee: 'Ready for talks on CAA'

Hours after PM Modi meets Mamata, Amit Shah challenges her, Kejriwal & Rahul on CAA

PM Modi meets Mamata post-CAA 

Earlier on January 11, PM Modi met with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee at Kolkata's Raj Bhavan and had a 20-minute chat on the current issues plaguing the state. Post-meeting, Mamata Banerjee stated it was a courtesy meet and that she had raised her government's opposition against the Centre's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). She stated that the PM assured her that further discussions will be held in Delhi. The Prime Minister was on a two-day visit to Kolkata on the occasion of 150 years of Kolkata Port Trust.

Mamata wields paintbrush to protest against CAA, NRC

Mamata and CAA-NRC-NPR

Mamata Banerjee, who was against infiltraion in Bengal and had dramatically resigned from the Lok Sabha when the Speaker denied her to raise the issue in the house has since then changed her stance on infiltration. Since the start of the NRC exercise in Assam, she has vocally been against it. She has often questioned why 14 lakhs Hindus and Bengalis were omitted from the final NRC list in Assam - which was implemented to weed out illegal migrants from citizens. 

She has further declared repeatedly that  "We will never allow NRC exercise and Citizenship Act in Bengal. We will not implement the amended Act, even though it has been passed in Parliament." She has also passed an anti-CAA resolution in the state Assembly and has stalled the NPR updation process in Bengal. 

West Bengal becomes fourth state to pass anti-CAA resolution as Mamata Banerjee ups ante