Continuing her tirade for a second day today against the Centre on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Trinamul Congress leader and state chief minister Mamata Banerjee today raised the question of whether the amendment to the citizenship law was passed according to the basic principles of the Constitution. The Centre can pass a bill on its “numerical strength” but the numbers are not all. People’s support is the key when it comes to be implemented, she said.

“The Centre has not passed the CAB in accordance with the basic principles of the Constitution. A Bill can be passed on the basis of numerical strength but the numbers are not all. People’s support is the key when it is come to be implemented,” Miss Banerjee told a rally at Jadavpur today. Launching a broadside at the Centre, the Trinamul chief accused the Central government of keeping her MPs In the dark about the Bill when it was to be introduced in Parliament.

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Because of this, she claimed, the party’s MPs could not find sufficient time to go through the Bill and some even could not make it to Parliament. “The Centre by its sheer numerical strength is doing whatever they wish to do throwing the basic spirit of the constitution to the winds. It is not even averse to trample the constitution. Federal structure is being subverted,” the chief minister said. She also chided the Prime Minister on his “Identification of the protesters by their clothes” statement at an election rally in Jharkhand on Sunday.

Miss Banerjee asked, “Does anybody really recognise anyone by their clothes?” While at Jadavpur, Miss Banerjee called for unity and amity and urged the the people to swear by the slogan, “ No CAA, NO NRC”. She said nobody in the state would have to leave and effort should be to thwart any move to divide India and divide Bengal. At Jadubabu Bazar, where her march from Jadavpur terminated today she gave a call to the people to join the campaign against the CAA by sporting badges with the same slogan: “No CAA, NO NRC”.

“I shall ask all and sundry present at the rally to launch a campaign against the black CAA Act ny sporting the badges with ‘No CAA, NO NRC’. Every nook and corner of the state should adopt such kind of badges to launch a peaceful agitation against the CAA,” the chief minister said. She went on to say: “To hit the streets is the key to launch a democratic movement. So we will continue to be on the streets for the next few days as tomorrow a rally will start from Howrah Maidan and culminate at Dorina Crossing at Esplanade.”