CAA ploy to give citizenship to those who funded BJP: CM Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Lashing out at the BJP for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), West Bengal Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged it is a "ploy" to take away citizenship from those who hold it legally and give it to foreigners who have funded the saffron party.

Banerjee, who is a strident critic of the BJP and has opposed the contentious piece of legislation from the beginning, said those helping the party get foreign funds and turn black money into white are being given citizenship.

"Is this Act a ploy to take away the citizenship of those legal citizens and giving it to those foreigners who have funded the BJP ?" she said speaking from the dharna manch of the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad, her party's student wing against the CAA, here.

Apparently referring to the killing of Bengali labourers at Kulgam in Kashmir by terrorists in October 2019, the TMC supremo said the people of other states face no threats and are safe in Bengal.

She hit out at the BJP saying, "Do they (BJP) have any understanding with Pakistan or are they brand ambassadors of Pakistan".

"We know how to respect our guests, we even show courtesy to our enemies, but that doesn't mean our party leaders won't be allowed to enter Jammu, Guhawati and JNU," Banerjee said seemingly referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Kolkata and the turning away of TMC delegations from various places.

She had met Modi at the Raj Bhavan during the prime minister's visit and was seen sharing the stage with him at a function, which drew flak from the opposition.