PM Publicly Contradicted Shah’s Stand on Pan-India NRC: Mamata

“With PM contradicting Home Minister on nationwide NRC, who is dividing fundamental idea of India,” she tweeted.

Photo used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, 22 December, claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly contradicted the home minister's stand on the proposed nationwide implementation of NRC.

Banerjee said that comments made by her and Modi on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the NRC are in public domain, and people will decide who is right or wrong.

“Whatever I said is there in public forum, whatever you (PM) said is there for people to judge. With PM contradicting Home Minister (Amit Shah) publicly on Nationwide NRC, who is dividing fundamental idea of India? People will definitely decide who is right & who is wrong,” she tweeted.

During a rally in New Delhi earlier in the day, Modi made a reference to a speech of Banerjee in Parliament against infiltration into the state, and attacked the CM for "changing" her stand due to "vote bank politics".

"These leaders changed their stand and all their love and sympathy for these refugees vanished," he said.

Modi accused Banerjee of "spreading rumours" and being "scared", keeping in mind the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

“Didi, what has happened to you? Why have you changed and why are you spreading rumours? Elections and power come and go, why are you so scared? Have faith in the people of Bengal,” the PM said.

Earlier this week, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy had said the government has no immediate plans to roll out the NRC across the country, and was willing to talk to anyone who does not indulge in violence.

"We have no immediate plans to implement the NRC across the country," he told reporters.

Without giving any time-frame, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in Parliament that the government would implement the NRC across India.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress secretary-general Partha Chatterjee also criticised the prime minister for hitting out at Banerjee, insisting that she is fighting for the rights of people and that has angered the saffron camp.

"The BJP leadership is afraid of Mamata Banerjee and her supporters. In the last five days, we have seen massive public support in the TMC rallies against CAA and NRC," Chatterjee said.