"If Bangladeshis come knocking on our door, we will provide them shelter," West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday during the party's annual 'Shahis Dibas' gathering at Kolkata's Esplanade.
CM Mamata Banerjee cited the United Nations Resolution on refugees to validate her statement. Bangladesh is currently witnessing a tragic student protest, resulting in over 100 deaths. Bangladeshi students, frustrated by shortages of good jobs, have been demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971.
The statement from CM Mamata Banerjee comes even as the Opposition in the state, BJP, has levied allegations of surging illegal immigration, especially Muslim population, from Bangladesh into West Bengal.
Mamata Banerjee also assured assistance to West Bengal residents stuck in strife-torn Bangladesh. "I assure all cooperation to Bengal residents whose relatives are stuck in violence-hit Bangladesh", said Mamata Banerjee.
On Sunday, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh struck down most quotas in government jobs. Only 5 per cent of civil service jobs in Bangladesh would remain reserved for children of independence war veterans (Muktijodhdha) and 2 per cent for other categories.
CM Mamata Banerjee boldly stated on Sunday, 'Only Bengal can preserve the existence of India; there is no India without Bengal.' The TMC supremo added that the BJP-led government at the Centre would not last long as it has been formed through “intimidation.”
"You cannot cow us down by misusing agencies… Only Bengal can preserve the existence of India; there can be no India without Bengal," she said.
"The government at the Centre won't last long. This (BJP_led NDA government) is not a stable government and will collapse soon," she added.
Amid allegations of mob assault and violence in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said, "Don't inflict injustice on people or tolerate it; we won't spare even TMC members if they are found guilty".
"I want TMC workers to be the people's friends. I want to tell municipality and panchayat representatives, MLAs, and MPs that they must ensure that we do not receive any complaints against them.
"If we get any complaint, we will take appropriate action. Everyone knows that if there is any injustice, we do not even spare TMC members," she added.
While praising Akhilesh Yadav, the TMC supremo said, "The 'Khel' (game) you played in UP should have forced the BJP government (in UP) to resign, but the shameless government is continuing in power by misusing agencies and other means."
