Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday iterated that her government will never allow the National Register of Citizens to be implemented in West Bengal, asserting that she was ready to give her blood to prevent it. Miss Banerjee, currently on a tour of the north Bengal districts, pointed out at an official programme at Raiganj in North Dinajpur today that the BJP-led Central government is again making plans to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“They have announced plans to implement an Uniform Civil Code. Autocratic leadership is being perpetuated. Where is democracy?” She said, and asked the people: “Will you accept it?” “The people belonging to Matua community are Indian citizens. If they are not Indian citizens, how they casting votes? How have they obtained ration cards! We are all Indian citizens. They are lying. Don’t believe them. I will never allow them to implement NRC. Earlier I prevented them from implementing NRC, if necessary I will give my blood to stop the NRC exercise,” she said.

Coming down heavily on the Centre for non-disbursement of funds meant for the MGNREGA scheme and other projects, Miss Banerjee said: “If the Centre does not release funds by 1 February we will stage dharna in Kolkata from 2 February.” Attacking the BJP-led governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for imposing restrictions on non-vegetarian food, Miss Banerjee said: “Coming to power the BJP has stopped people from eating eggs.

They have bulldozed nonvegetarian eateries there. What you eat, it is your right. They can not impose restrictions.” Addressing another programme at Balurghat in South Dinajpur today, Miss Banerjee asked the district magistrates to issue ‘inner permit cards’ to farmers who have agricultural land near or across the Bangladesh border.

Opposing reported plans of the Border Security Force (BSF) to issue identity cards to the villagers who live close to the Indo Bangladesh border and work on their lands outside the border fencing on the Bangladesh side, Miss Banerjee asked: “Why should the BSF issue the cards without informing the state? District Magistrate will issue the cards from now.” Miss Banerjee also said: “The BSF keeps control over the people during elections. I even got information they maintained voters’ line in Balurghat in the last elections. I did not expect such role of the BSF.”