Shah Challenges Opposition on CAA, Vows AIIMS for North Bengal in Poll Rally

Kolkata: Union home minister Amit Shah challenged on Tuesday that neither the Congress nor its I.N.D.I.A. partner, Trinamul Congress, even have the “guts to touch” the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which they have vowed to repeal from the country.

The BJP heavyweight, who could not reach and address a Lok Sabha Election campaign rally in Darjeeling of West Bengal in person due to bad weather two days ago, also promised that the Centre would build another AIIMS, this time in the northern parts of the state, if his party wins 30 seats among 42 here.

Mr Shah was addressing a BJP poll campaign rally in support of his party candidate Kartik Pal at Raiganj in North Dinajpur of the region after leading a massive road show in Malda South parliamentary constituency on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.

The union home minister said, “Today Congress declared that it would repeal the CAA if it comes to power. Take it from me, neither the Congress nor Mamata Banerjee even have the guts to touch the CAA. Each Hindu refugee will get citizenship.”

Lashing out at the TMC supremo for her fierce stand against the CAA in a blistering attack, Mr Shah also wondered, “Should the CAA be in place or not? Shouldn't the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, who came here from Bangladesh, get their citizenship?”

He alleged, “But Mamata Didi opposes it. I ask her what her problem is if these refugees get citizenship. Don't they have any right to Bengal? Didi, you are causing infiltration and allowing the infiltrators’ entry here while opposing citizenship to the migrants.”

To woo the voters ahead of the polls, Mr Shah then added, “An AIIMS was planned at Raiganj which Didi didn't want to happen. However BJP wanted to build it. Later it was shifted to Kolkata. There is no AIIMS in entire North Bengal. Elect us in 30 seats and we will work on building a separate AIIMS for North Bengal.”

To embarrass the TMC further, the union home minister then highlighted the Calcutta High Court's order on Monday when it cancelled the appointment of 25,753 state education department employees including teaching and non-teaching staff at various government schools over corruption in their recruitment.

He claimed, "₹10-15 lakhs were paid for each job. ₹51 crores were recovered from the house of Partha Chatterjee (former state education minister) who is now in jail. Mamata Banerjee came to power with the slogan of Maa, Maati, Manush. In Sandeshkhali, Maa was tortured, Maati was given to Bangladeshi infiltrators and Manush have been suffering due to corruption. Vote for BJP and Ms Banerjee's goondas will be made straight by hanging upside down.”