Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that her party would make the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) controversu an election issue to take on the BJP, while maintaining that the Central government cannot be expected to conduct an impartial election. “How can we say the forthcoming election is impartial? When Election Commission conducts Assembly elections, the Centre keeps control over it. Lok Sabha polls is being conducted to form a new Central government but the Centre keeps control over it. How can we expect an impartial elections when a member of the Election Commission quits, unable to bear unethical activities, according to media reports?

It has tarnished the Indian democracy. The BJP appoints likeminded people in the Election Commission. Is it not a farce?” Miss Banerjee asked here today, adding: “The early deployment of Central forces is another example. The Central forces work for the BJP in elections.” The Chief Minister distributed deeds of rights among tea garden workers and keys of flats among 422 beneficiaries belonging to economically weaker sections at the auditorium of Uttarkanya today. She was originally scheduled to attend a public meeting at Dabgram where the distribution of benefits was to have taken place. It had also been announced that the CM will join a padayatra in Siliguri in protest against the CAA.

Advertisement

But the programmes were cancelled last night. Speaking to reporters, Miss Banerjee clarified that she had to postpone the programme keeping in mind two things in the interests of the people. “I decided to change the venue to avoid unnecessary harassment of people due to restrictions over vehicles movement and traffic congestion from Dabgram to Siliguri town. Besides, there is another political rally to be held in Jalpaiguri on 14 March, where Abhishek will be coming to address,” Miss Banerjee said, adding, “I will organise a padayatra to protest against CAA as a part of election campaigning shortly.” Attacking the BJP, Miss Banerjee said: “The BJP keeps blabbering ‘Hindu Hindu’. Theirs is a different shade of Hindu.

This is not the Hindu religion that celebrates Durga Puja or which was followed by Ramakrishna.” “It is not the Hinduism of the Vedas, Swami Vivekananda, Birsa Munda, Panchanan Barma, Matua Thakur. They have created a new breed of Hindu religion which tarnishes and disrespects the religion,” Miss Banerjee said.