“Right belongs to government of India…”: Ravi Shankar Prasad on Mamata Banerjee offering shelter to ‘helpless people’

New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks offering shelter to “helpless people” from the neighbouring country, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday attacked the Trinamool Congress chief and said that this right belongs to the government of India, not the state government.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that her government would provide shelter to individuals from Bangladesh who seek refuge, amidst ongoing protests in the neighbouring country.

“Mamata Banerjee said yesterday that whatever is happening in Bangladesh, she will keep her doors open and will let anyone enter West Bengal. Mamata Ji, you are the same person who said about CAA that we will not let any Hindu, Sikh, Parsi or Christian refugee suffering from violence enter Bengal. Mamata ji has always opposed CAA, whereas CAA had absolutely no relation with the citizens of India, be it Hindu or Muslim,” a BJP MP said addressing a press conference.

“Mamata ji, Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi keep talking about the Constitution. Do you have a right in the Constitution? This right belongs to the government of India. This power does not belong to the state government,” he added.

The BJP leader said that this is an internal matter of Bangladesh and we request that the matter be sorted out.

“Humme issme nhi padhna hai. What does it mean if a Chief Minister makes an announcement? Do you want to break the unity of India? Mamata ji I want to ask you what you mean by this. Bengal is the mother of such people as Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, and Subhas Chandra Bose. The way Bengal’s demography is being changed, she is finding a reason to justify it. Even Kolkata’s demography is changing. I have visited Bengal and witnessed that there are many Bangladeshi people, and Rohingya refugees there. And she is not concerned about the nation’s security. In the NIA probe, it was revealed that the main suspects in many incidents are being sheltered in Bengal,” he alleged.

Her statement comes amid protests in Bangladesh over demands for reforms of the country’s quota system for civil service jobs.

Addressing the rally in Kolkata, CM Banerjee said, “Don’t worry if any of your family members or relatives are in Bangladesh for work or study. We’re ready to help them in return. I can’t comment on Bangladesh’s (issue), as it’s a separate country. Whatever needs to be said, the Indian government will say. These are matters that are handled by the Indian Government. But if helpless individuals knock on Bengal’s door, we will shelter them because a United Nations resolution allows neighbouring regions to assist those in trouble.

Urging people not to resort to utter negative comments or get provoked on Bangladesh protests, Banerjee said, “I urge everyone not to comment on Bangladesh (issue), to avoid falling into provocations. We feel compassion and sympathy for those whose blood is shed.”

The protests in Bangladesh have erupted due to demands for reforming the quota system that reserves civil service jobs for specific groups, including descendants of 1971 war veterans.

The unrest intensified after students opposed a new policy allocating government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters, leading to violence, including attacks on state television headquarters and police booths in Dhaka.

The situation prompted a government curfew, school closures, and nationwide suspensions of mobile and internet services.

Following the protests that resulted in over 100 fatalities, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court intervened, slashing the quota reserved for relatives of war veterans from 30 per cent to 5 per cent while allowing 93 per cent to be allocated based on merit and the remaining 2 per cent will be earmarked for members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and the disabled, Al Jazeera reported, citing, local reports.