Modi government will bring NRC to Bengal: Amit Shah

Alipurduar (West Bengal), March 29 (IANS) BJP President Amit Shah on Friday said if the BJP was voted back to power at the Centre, the Modi government will implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal and smoke out all infiltrators from the state.

Launching a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shah claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party will end "vote bank politics" in the state if they can achieve their target of winning 23 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"Mamata thinks the infiltrators will help her sail through this election. The Modi government will come back to power. We will bring NRC to Bengal. Each and every infiltrator will be identified and thrown out," Shah told a public rally here in support of BJP candidate John Barla.

"For these people (Banerjee and her party leaders), the security of the country is not important. Votes of infiltrators is more important. We do not do vote bank politics. I have no fear to announce that if you help us win 23 seats from Bengal, we will ensure that each and every infiltrator staying in Bengal will be smoked out," he said.

Accusing Banerjee of trying to mislead the Hindu and Buddhist refugees in the state about the impacts of the NRC, Shah claimed the BJP government while implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act will ensure that the rights of all the refugees were protected.

"She (Banerjee) is trying to scare the refugees by saying that if NRC is implemented here, they would also have to leave (the country). I promise the refugees of Bengal that the Citizenship Amendment Bill is our commitment. The Hindu and Buddhist refugees have no need to leave the country. We will make sure that they can stay here with respect.

"Mamata Didi, use as much power as you have. No one will be able to oust a single refugee from India. They are an integral part of the country," Shah added.