Mamata Banerjee fear-mongers over NRC, claims '30 people committed suicide' in West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that 30 people have committed suicide by fearing the National Register of Citizens (NRC). With no reports to back her claim, the statement by the Trinamool supremo was made during a rally to protest the amended Citizenship Bill and NRC in Kolkata on Tuesday.  As protests erupted in several places including state capital Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee led a 4-km march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Monday, and dared the Centre to dismiss her government, ignoring Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's disapproval. 

Mamata Banerjee said, "In West Bengal, 30 people have committed suicide due to the fear of NRC (National Register of Citizens). Who will take responsibility for it?" Leading a protest march on the second day from Jadavpur to Jadu Babu's Bazar, the Trinamool chief also added, "Our slogan is 'No CAB, No NRC in Bengal'."

READ| Citizenship stir kicks off fresh war of words between Mamata Banerjee, Bengal Governor

Dares Centre to sack TMC

Anti-citizenship law protests snowballed into a major flashpoint in West Bengal on Monday with highways and railway lines blocked and incidents of arson and loot reported from many places, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared CAA and NRC can be enforced in the state only on her "dead body".  Dhankhar had on Sunday said the advertisement in which Banerjee said that NRC and citizenship law will not be implemented in West Bengal is unconstitutional. The head of a government cannot use public money for such campaigns, he asserted. His comments drew sharp reactions from the Trinamool Congress leadership which asked Dhankhar to stop "lecturing" Mamata Banerjee on her constitutional duties.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that she is ready to surrender her life but will not bow down to the "politics of hatred", as she inaugurated a state-sponsored Christmas carnival in Park Street area of the city. The Chief Minister added the country belongs to every community and people have the right to follow any religion. "I am ready to surrender my life but not bow down my head to politics of hatred," the chief minister said, asserting that she will do everything to protect rights of all the communities. "I am not ready to surrender to the diktats of proponents of hatred politics," she added. 

Violent protests over the amended Citizenship Act continued to rock parts of West Bengal for the third consecutive day. Several incidents of vandalism and arson were reported from different districts.

READ| Rahul Gandhi says NRC & CAB are 'weapons of mass polarisation'; calls for "Satyagraha"

(With agency inputs)