NRC must for Bengal, will morally support it if BJP is voted

Re-elected West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who is known for his hardline stance, said on Friday that NRC is a must in the state to weed out infiltrators and the party will "morally support" its implementation if it is voted to power in the 2021 state assembly election.

Speaking in favour of implementation of NRC in the country, Ghosh, an old RSS hand known for refusing to retract from his statements, said every civilized country has a register of its citizens.

"Then why won't India have one?" he asked while speaking to PTI in an interview a day after his re-election for the second consecutive term.

 

His comment comes at a time when the BJP top brass has categorically said that the citizens register has not been discussed by the Centre.

Ghosh, who has been at the eye of a storm for his controversial remark that anti-CAA protesters "were shot like dogs" in BJP-ruled states, said he will continue to speak his mind "if it helps the party".

"No one will be able to shut my mouth even if it creates controversy," he asserted.

The 55-year-old leader exuded confidence about winning both the 2021 assembly polls in West Bengal and the upcoming civic polls in 109 municipal bodies, including in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, in the state scheduled to be held in April this year.

The civic election is being viewed as a mini Assembly poll.

Ghosh, who is also known for taking BJP to a high growth trajectory in his first term as the party's state chief in the last four years, was re-elected on Thursday with an eye on the 2021 assembly polls for a tenure of three years till 2023.

Asked whether BJP will implement NRC in Bengal if voted to power in 2021, Ghosh replied the party would morally support it.

"There has been no dicussion at the Centre on NRC as of now. We had said that since the Supreme Court had ordered NRC updation in Assam, its implementation is also needed in Bengal as the rate of infiltration has been much higher in the state," he said.

Elaborating, he said "It (implementation of NRC) does not depend only us, it depends on the Centre. But yes morally we (BJP) are in favour of NRC being implemented in Bengal. But when it will happen, who will do it, is a matter that will be decided in future.

"BJP had been fighting for abolition for Article 370 in Kashmir for the last 70 years but it did not happen. It has been withdrawn now," he said citing an example.

Asked whether the issue of NRC has backfired for BJP in Bengal, which witnessed widespread protests against it and Citizenship Amendment Act, Ghosh said it was the ruling Trinamool Congress which created "an issue out of nowhere".

"NRC was made an issue by Mamata Banerjee. We had said we want NRC, but that does not mean it has become a reality. The masses were instigated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC and she should reply to the masses," he said.

Commenting on his statements that had created furore, Ghosh said he never makes controversial statements but speaks just the truth.

"Whatever I feel is right and is the truth, I will keep saying it. I don't make controversial comments, people try to create a controversy out of my comments. If playing in an offesive way helps my party, I will keep doing it. No body can silence me. I will stick to my views," he said.

Speaking on his "shot like dogs" comments, Ghosh said he had said nothing wrong as he still feels that miscreants who are destroying public property should be punished.

"What wrong did I say? If the Mamata Banerjee government can kill Maoist leader Kishanji because he was conspiring against the state then why won't miscreants who are destroying public property be shot at? The TMC government can kill a Maoist leader and I can't even speak (against miscreants)," he said.

Ghosh, who is known for taking BJP to a high growth trajectory in the state in his first term as the party's state chief in the last four years, was re-elected on Thursday with an eye on the 2021 assembly polls in West Bengal for a tenure of three years till 2023.

Asked to comment on the issue of BJP lacking a chief ministerial face to counter Banerjee and her TMC, he said it will not be a hinderance.

BJP is a regimented party and there are several leaders who can take up the responsibility when asked to.

"In Haryana and Jharkhand we(BJP) did not have any CM candidate prior to election. We had appointed the chief minister after we won. We are not a party based on individuals but cadre-based and our training and grooming is as such that we have several people who can take up the mantle of the chief minister," he said.

Asked whether he is ready to take up the mantle of the chief minister if BJP is voted to power, Ghosh in a guarded reply said it for the party to decide and he will speak his mind only if his opinion is sought.

Speaking on the alleged exodus from Trinamool Congress, Ghosh said several leaders are in touch with BJP but are waiting for an oppurtune moment to switch over.

"Of course we need to filter when inducting new members. At the same time it is also true that as BJP is increasing its mass base, we need to induct people from other parties," he said.

During Ghosh's first tenure as BJP state president, the party had witnessed a meteoric rise in West Bengal with the party bagging an unprecedented 18 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.

He was deputed to the party in 2015 by the RSS and was elected MLA from Kharagpur Sadar seat in 2016. He resigned as MLA after being elected MP from Midnapore Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 parliamentary polls.