No question of setting up detention centres in West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Addressing officials at a review administrative meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that her government would not allow setting up detention centres in the state while reiterating that the National Register of Citizens would not be implemented in the state.

Siliguri (West Bengal):West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that her government would not allow setting up detention centres in the state while reiterating that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would not be implemented in the state.

Addressing officials from districts of Alipurduar, Coochbehar, and Jalpaiguri at a review administrative meeting here, she said: "On behalf of state government, there is no plan to introduce National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal".

"Presently, there is a BJP government (in Assam). So, they were able to implement the NRC in Assam. But in our state the government is ours and we are already opposing the implementation of NRC. There is no question of detention camp because we are against it," the Chief Minister said.

Banerjee also asserted that she is opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) which aims at granting citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

"Along the NRC, we are also opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). It is never possible on the basis of religion. Anyone cannot decide who is Indian and who is foreigner," she said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8. However, the bill could not be passed in Rajya Sabha.