Protests against Citizenship Amendment Act continue in Bengal

Protests over the amended Citizenship Act continued unabated in West Bengal for the fourth consecutive day on Monday (December 16), with incidents of road and rail blockades reported from various parts of the state, officials said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been vocal against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Registry of Citizens started a rally against CAA ignoring Governor Jagdeep Dhankar’s remarks that it would be “unconstitutional and inflammatory”.

“We will never allow NRC and CAA in Bengal. No one will be ousted from the state. We believe in coexistence of all religions, caste and creed,” Banerjee said as she read out an oath for her party workers. “All of us are citizens of this country, no one can take that away from us,” she said.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to announce that she would begin a rally from Red road to Jorasanko Thakurbari at 1 pm on Monday(December 16).

A mega rally will be held today in #Kolkata to protest against unconstitutional #CABBill & #NRC. It will begin at 1pm near the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar on Red Road & end at Jorasanko Thakurbari.(1/2)

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 16, 2019

Banerjee, along with thousands of partymen, vowed not to allow the proposed country-wide NRC and the amended Citizenship Act in the state. Several express and local trains have been cancelled or delayed due to the ongoing protests.

A spokesperson of the railways said demonstrators have blocked the tracks in Sealdah-Diamond Harbour and Sealdah-Namkhana sectors. Efforts were being made to disperse the mob, he added. Train services in Tamluk-Haldia section of South Eastern Railway were disrupted for three hours due to a blockade at Basulyasutahata station from 6.10 am.

Also read: West Bengal Guv hits out at Mamata over rally against CAA

Meanwhile, students of Jadavpur University expressed solidarity with their counterparts of Jamia Millia University took out a protest rally condemning police action.

Internet services continued to remain suspended in six districts of Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Howrah, North 24 Parganas and parts of South 24 Parganas. On Sunday (December 15) night, the officer-in-charge of Uluberia police station, along with a few other police personnel, sustained injuries after they were attacked by agitators. The injured were admitted to a nearby hospital, district officials said. Incidents of violence, loot and arson were also reported from Nadia and Birbhum districts.

(With inputs from agencies)