I don't want to see my motherland divided: Mamata Banerjee says on NRC Assam issue

Mamata Banerjee said the entire move was made by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre for gaining votes.

"I don't want to see my motherland divided," Banerjee said.

"If Bengalis say Biharis can't stay in Bengal, South Indian people say North Indians can't stay there and North Indians say South Indians can't stay here. What will be state of this country, because we are together. Our country is a family," she said.

She said: "Only to win polls people can't be victimised. Don't you think people who's name isn't in list will lose a part of their identity?"

"Please understand India-Pakistan-Bangladesh were one before partition. Whoever came from Bangladesh to India till March 1971 is Indian citizen," the West Bengal CM said.

The NRC issue has triggered a political battle in the nation with both the BJP and the opposition parties exchanging barbs.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day while the opposition staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha as the NRC issue in Assam rocked Parliament on Tuesday triggering a huge ruckus.

According to reports,  the disruptions in both the Houses were led by the Trinamool Congres amid a continuing blamegame with fusillades flying thick over the deletion of more than four million names from the updated list of Indian nationals in Assam.

In course of the verbal war, BJP President Amit Shah launched a counter attack  against the Congress, saying that the  the very basis of the exercise and NRC (National Register of Citizen) is the Assam Accord signed by late Congress prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

"This was a move by your prime minister only," Amit Shah told the upper house  targetting the Opposition and Congress over the issue.

Amid noisy protests, Amit Shah said "you [Congress and opposition] did not have the courage to implement it [Assam Accord]. We have the courage to do it."

The Assam Accord (1985) was signed between  the Government of India led by Rajiv Gandhi and the leaders of the Assam Movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985 after a six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants  by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

"They are shouting over the figure of 40 lakh. I ask you who you want to save? The illegal Bangladeshis?" Amit Shah asked, adding that the NRC was being prepared under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

The Congress and Mamata Banerjee have accused the Government of using the pretext of Bangladeshi migrants to target Assam's Muslim population.