Miscreants can’t be differentiated on attire: Mamata

PTI, Dec 17, 2019, 3:18 PM IST

New Delhi: Terming the ongoing violence and arson in the state over the citizenship law as a “few minor incidents”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said just because the BJP has requisite numbers in Parliament, it cannot bully the states into enforcing the law.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had said at a Jharkhand rally that the “protesters could be identified by their clothes”, she asserted that “miscreants cannot be differentiated on the basis of their attire”.

Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, claimed that the Centre has stopped railway services in the state over “one or two minor incidents” of violence.

“Owing to one or two small incidents, the Centre has stopped railways services in Bengal. It is the duty of the Railway Protection Force personnel to protect railway property, yet we provided them support.

“We have arrested more than 600 people (for creating trouble). I would request the railways and the central government to resume services,” she said here at a protest rally over the amended Citizenship Act.

Condemning the violence at Jamia Millia University in Delhi, the CM said the “torture meted out to the students at the varsity was unprecedented”.

Alleging that the BJP was instigating violence in the country, she said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in a hurry in Parliament.

“The BJP didn’t give opposition parties time to think and discuss the Bill. It sought its passage in a hurry,” she added.