CAA is nothing but an 'eyewash', says Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is nothing but an 'eyewash'.

“CAA is nothing but an eyewash. Often those Indians who are staying abroad because of work or academic-related assignments are provided with Green Cards. CAA is just like that. The act is no guarantee for citizenship,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an election meeting at Jhargram in support of the party candidate Kalipada Soren.

She also accused the BJP candidate from Jhargram, Dr Pranat Tudu, of contesting elections ignoring the medical profession of his greed for money.

“There is a shortage of doctors in this area. Who will give medical services to the local people if you contest the polls? Had I wished I could have refused the release order. But I did not. I thought when the lust is so much, let him go and make money,” the Chief Minister said.

Tudu was a government doctor attached to the Jhargram Medical College & Hospital. He resigned from his government services to contest the polls and the BJP is banking on his popularity in the constituency as a doctor to retain its seat. BJP candidate got elected from Jhargram in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP’s state leadership has, however, reminded that Trinamool Congress’s three-time Lok Sabha member from Barasat Lok Sabha constituency and the fourth-time party candidate Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, is also a medical practitioner in private life.

Earlier, the Trinamool Congress had sent another medical practitioner Dr Shantanu Sen to the Rajya Sabha.