Protest against Citizenship Act reaches Bengal, railway services hit
Kolkata/IBNS: Amid ongoing protests in the north-east, agitation against the new Citizenship Act reached West Bengal with demonstrators staging protests in various parts of the state and even halted train services at several stations on Friday.
Things turned violent when agitators set on fire the Beldanga railway station complex in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district and some blocked tracks and vandalised the complex at Uluberia railway station in Howrah district.
According to media reports, people thrashed RPF personnel who were deputed at Beldanga railway station.
Train services in Howrah-Kharagpur section in South Eastern railway have been disrupted due to public agitation staged at Uluberia on non-railway issue.
Nearly 200 to 250 people obstructed UP & DN line at Uluberia from 15.22 hrs. today, a SER spokesperson said.
Apart from this, 11 EMU local and passenger trains were detained and controlled at various stations in the section.
Demonstrations against the bill were also held in Kolkata.
Several demonstrators blocked National Highway 6 to protest against the Act.
While West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has urged all people to maintain peace, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged all to protest democratically.
Mamata announces mega rally
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee has announced a mega rally which will be held here on Monday against the new controversial Citizenship Act.
The rally will begin near the statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar and will end at Jorasanko.
The TMC chief will be present in the rally.
As per the new Citizenship Act, all non-Hindu refugees who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan ans Afghanistan before 2015 will be granted citizenship of the country.
The TMC along with several key opposition parties are against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which is now a law, right from day one as they say the Act is a violation of right to equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution.
Mamata was the first among the Chief Ministers who said they won't allow the Act to be implemented in their respective states.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Act. However, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde refused Moitra's plea of urgent hearing.
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