'BJP trying to spread hatred'

(With inputs from agencies)

KOLKATA: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, saying that she will not be able to stop the Centre from granting citizenship to refugees.Banerjee, who has been a vocal critic of the Citizenship Amendment Act, has repeatedly said that she won't allow the new law in her state.Addressing a rally in Kolkata, Shah said that opposition parties are terrorizing refugees by creating a false perception about the CAA and accused Mamata of allowing riots in her state by opposing the law."PM Modi brought CAA that gave millions of refugees citizenship here in Bengal. Mamata Di opposed it. There were riots in Bengal. Trains and railway stations were burnt," Shah said, adding that Mamata won't be able to stop the Centre from granting citizenship to refugees."Mamata Di raised the issue of citizenship to refugees herself when she was in Opposition. When PM Modi brought the CAA, she is standing with the Congress and Communists in Opposition again," he said.He reiterated that the government won't stop until and unless all the refugees are granted citizenship.He also expressed confidence that the BJP will form the next government in Bengal with two-third majority after the 2021 assembly polls.Launching the BJP's 'Aar Noi Annay' (no more injustice) campaign in West Bengal at the rally, he said, "Mamata didi goes to every village and asks 'Didi Ke Bolo,' they wonder what to answer. Today I have come here to tell you that don't sit quiet. Whenever Didi asks 'Didi Ke Bolo,' you say, 'Aar Noi Anyay', meaning, we will not tolerate this injustice."Hitting back at the home minister, the ruling Trinamool Congress said instead of preaching, Shah should apologise for failing to save innocent lives during the Delhi violence.Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said West Bengal is better off without bigotry and hatred that that the BJP "is trying to spread"."Rather than coming and preaching #Bengal @AmitShah you should have explained and apologised for failing to save more than 50 innocent lives in #DelhiViolence right under your nose," Abhishek, nephew of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, said in a tweet.At least 42 people were killed and over 200 injured as frenzied groups of people torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump, and pelted local people and police personnel with stones earlier this week, the worst riots in Delhi in over three decades.