Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said she is ready for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act but the Centre has to withdraw the Act first. She said while answering queries from the media, “The Centre should first repeal the Draconian law and then we are willing to talk. But they first make such laws and then ask for a discourse on the issue.”

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, along with other artists, took up the brush today and created paintings to express dissent against the amended Citizenship Act and proposed NRC exercise. The CM, on the occasion, urged people to carry out peaceful protests against the citizenship law and iterated that she would never allow its implementation in the state. The programme, themed around anti-CAA agitation, was organised near the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Mayo Road, where Miss Banerjee today protested through her paintings.

Renowned artist Suvaprasanna was also present there along with other artists. She said, “The BJP leaders have developed a tendency to term the movement against the NRC, NPR and CAA as antinational movement and call the protesters anti-national. They are even comparing Delhi polls with India-Pakistan T20 match.

“Why are you holding brief for Pakistan? Why do you always refer to Pakistan? Are you the brand ambassador of Pakistan?” she asked. “ We are Indians and proud to be a Bengali and Indian,” she said. Miss Banerjee said protesting against the decisions of the Centre doesn’t make Opposition parties anti-national and iterated that she will not implement CAA, NRC or NPR in the state.

“It is good that the Prime Minister is ready for talks but the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) must be revoked first. They (Centre) did not call an all-party meeting before taking a decision on Kashmir and CAA. We are ready for talks but first withdraw this Citizenship Amendment Act,” Miss Banerjee, a staunch critic of the BJP, said addressing the protest programme against CAA.

The state Assembly had on Monday passed a resolution against the CAA to become the fourth state after Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan, to do so. The state assembly had on 6 September 2019, passed a resolution against the NRC. Miss Banerjee, a staunch critic of the BJP, has been at the forefront of anti-CAA protests. The TMC supremo has so far led 11 protest marches and seven rallies in various parts of the state against the CAA and the NRC.