TMC has asked BJP to clarify the exclusion of a large number of Hindus in the final NRC list in Assam ahead of the saffron party national president Amit Shah's scheduled visit the city to address a seminar on the citizen register and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
Shah will visit the city on October 1 and inaugurate a community Durga Puja besides addressing the seminar on the two contentious topics.
He has repeatedly said that the NRC exercise will be conducted across the country.
Out of the over 19 lakh people omitted from the final NRC in Assam, which was published on August 31, about 12 lakh are Hindus. NRC was one of the provisions of the Assam Accord, 1985 and was carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee hitting out at the saffron party on the final NRC said, "Before projecting itself as the saviour of Hindus, BJP should first clarify why such a large number of them were omitted from the NRC list in Assam.
BJP has been speaking on implementation of NRC to throw out infiltrators.
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Then are those Hindus who were omitted from the (NRC) list, infiltrators? What will they do do now?" he asked.
The seminar is being held at a time when panic has gripped the people and hundreds of them are lining up at government and municipal offices in the city and across West Bengal to collect their birth certificates and necessary documents to be in readiness should NRC be implemented in the state despite assurances by the TMC government that it would not be allowed.
The omission of a large number of Hindu Bengalis from the final NRC list in BJP-ruled Assam has apparently created panic among the people and has allegedly led to six deaths in the state so far.
"It is BJP which is responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people in Bengal. Those who survive by dividing Hindus and Muslims have now started targeting Hindus and Bengalis," senior TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim said.
According to state BJP sources, Shah's seminar is of immense importance as he likely to address all allegations by TMC and "misconceptions" created by it over NRC.
"The TMC has been opposing NRC to protect Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators who are its vote bank in West Bengal. But after many Hindus were omitted from the NRC list in Assam, it is trying to project us as anti-Hindu and an anti-refugee party which might take a toll on our prospects in Bengal," said a senior state BJP leader, who did not wish to be named.
TMC has been against the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) calling it an "anti-Bengali" move by BJP.
"We are hopeful that Shah would assuage all fears and misconceptions on NRC," the BJP leader said.
BJP Bengal president Dilip Ghosh blamed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party, the TMC for creating a panic over NRC in Bengal to instill fear among the Hindus.
"Only TMC will be responsible for the deaths over NRC in the state. If there is one more death over NRC panic, an FIR should be lodged against Mamata Banerjee and TMC. We (BJP) have clearly said that all Hindus who have come from other countries will be granted citizenship under Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and then NRC will be implemented to weed out the infiltrators," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provided for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after seven years of residence in India instead of 12 years, which is the current norm, even if they do not possess any document. The legislation was passed by Lok Sabha during its winter session on January 8 but could not be cleared by the upper house.
Banerjee, who met the Union home minister Shah in Delhi over the matter last week, has been building strong public opinion against the NRC exercise.
The TMC supremo had led a rally against NRC on September 12 in the city.
The West Bengal Assembly had in August passed a resolution against NRC and Banerjee had vowed not to allow its implementation in Bengal.