CAA will be implemented once COVID-19 pandemic ends: Amit Shah

Siliguri (WB): Launching a blistering attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over "cut-money culture, political violence and rampant corruption" in the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that he had expected her to "rectify" ways after being voted to power for the third consecutive time but that did not happen.

Shah, addressing a public rally in north Bengal's Siliguri town, vowed that the saffron camp would not rest till the "tyrannical TMC rule" got uprooted from Bengal.

The Union minister, in a bid to reach out to the refugee population of the state, gave assurance that Citizenship (Amendment) Act would be implemented once the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

The senior BJP leader, who played a crucial role in the passage of CAA in Parliament in 2019, claimed that Banerjee doesn't want refugees to get citizenship.

"The ruling TMC is spreading canards about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Mamata didi wants infiltration to continue and yet opposes citizenship for refugees. The CAA was a reality, is, and will be a reality," he said.

The senior BJP leader expressed gratitude to the people of Bengal for raising the party's tally in Bengal Assembly to 77 from three.

"I want to thank people for giving the BJP 2.28 crore votes in the assembly elections. You have strengthened the party in every village. We accept the people's mandate, Shah stated.

He, however, noted that over 100 people were killed in political violence.

"There has been no let up in political violence, atrocities on BJP workers, corruption and cut-money culture (extortion) in the state.

"We had hoped that Mamata Banerjee would rectify herself after being voted to power for the third time. We waited for an entire year, but she didn't change. We will not rest till we uproot the tyrannical rule of the TMC. The BJP's fight will continue," he said.

Shah underlined that the National Human Rights Commission had pointed out "that there is no rule of law in Bengal; it is the rule of the ruling party".

The BJP, despite its high pitch poll campaign, managed to bag 77 seats in the 294-member Assembly, while the TMC stormed to power for the third consecutive time, securing more than 213 seats.

Without making any mention of the statehood demand in the region, Shah said Banerjee had misled the Gorkhas for vested political interests.

"Didi has always misled the Gorkha brothers and sisters. I have come today to tell them that if there is one party which thinks in the interest of Gorkhas, it is only BJP," he said.

"We have given assurance that a permanent political solution to all the problems will be found within the limits of the Constitution," he said.

Taking a dig at Banerjee for sending fact-finding teams to BJP-ruled states over incidents of crime against women, Shah wondered why no delegation was sent by the TMC supremo to Bogtui, where 10 people died in violence, and Hanskhali, where a minor girl died after allegedly being raped.

Earlier in the day, Shah, during a BSF programme in North 24 Parganas, inaugurated floating border outposts (BOPs) at Hingalganj in Sunderbans area and flagged off a boat ambulance.

He said that it was difficult to stop infiltration and smuggling without the support of the local administration.

Lauding the Border Security Force's role in securing the country's boundaries, he said, "One of the main focuses of our government is to ensure the country is secured from both outside and inside. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is moving forward in every sector as our borders are secured," he said.