Mamata Banerjee Condemns BJP Over NRC Notice to West Bengal Farmer

Mamata Banerjee's Strong Response to NRC Notice

On July 8, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her outrage against the BJP, labeling the recent actions as a calculated attack on democracy. This statement followed a Foreigners' Tribunal in Assam issuing a notice to a farmer from Coochbehar, West Bengal, branding him as an illegal migrant.

Banerjee called for a united front among opposition parties against what she described as the BJP's "divisive and oppressive machinery." She asserted that this incident exemplifies the Assam government's attempts to enforce the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal, a region where they lack authority.

"I am appalled and deeply troubled to find out that the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam has sent an NRC notice to Uttam Kumar Brajabasi, a Rajbanshi who has lived in Dinhata, Cooch Behar for over five decades. Despite providing valid identification, he is being harassed under the suspicion of being a 'foreigner/illegal migrant,'" she stated on social media.

"This represents a systematic assault on democracy. It is evident that the ruling BJP in Assam is trying to impose NRC in Bengal, where they have no jurisdiction," she continued.

Banerjee further alleged that there is a deliberate effort to intimidate, disenfranchise, and target marginalized communities.

Her remarks came shortly after the farmer expressed his disbelief to the media, stating he had never left Cooch Behar and was shocked to receive the notice labeling him an illegal immigrant.

In response, the state BJP had previously accused the Mamata Banerjee administration of documentation irregularities related to this case, claiming that numerous illegal immigrants from Bangladesh have acquired forged Indian documents and are being misrepresented as legitimate citizens.

As of the time of this report, the Assam BJP had not released any official comment regarding the situation.