Mamata Banerjee leads mega protest rally; vows not to allow NRC, CAA in Bengal

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the streets of Kolkata on Monday along with thousands of partymen and vowed not to allow the proposed country-wide NRC and the amended Citizenship Act in West Bengal.

The TMC supremo began the protest march from Red Road in heart of the city, and it is set to culminate at Jorasakho Thakur Bari, the residence of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in north Kolkata, around 4 km away.

"We will never allow NRC and CAA in Bengal. No one will be ousted from the state. We believe in coexistence of all religions, caste and creed," Banerjee said as she read out an 'oath' for her party workers.


"All of us are citizens of this country, no one can take that away from us," she said.

For three consecutive days, Banerjee, who has been at the forefront in opposing the NRC and the citizenship law, will conduct mega rallies crisscrossing the city and neighbouring Howrah in protest against the law.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has dubbed the rallies as "unconstitutional and inflammatory act" and has urged the chief minister to devote time to retrieve the grim situation.

The state has seen several incidents of arson and vandalisation in the past few days by people protesting against the law.

Students of Jamia Millia Islamia and locals protested at Jamia Nagar in Delhi on Sunday against the amended Citizenship Act.

Protesters torched four buses and two police vehicles as they clashed with police in south Delhi New Friends' Colony.

Police baton charged the protesters and used tear gas shells to disperse the mob before entering the varsity campus, detaining several persons allegedly involved in the violence.