Amit Shah slams Mamata Banerjee on CAA: 'Doesn't know difference between refugee, infiltrator'

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a scathing attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act. Commenting on the CAA, Mamata Banerjee said she does not want 'detention camps in Bengal just like in Assam'.

Banerjee also said that the CAA is related to the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Shah said that Banerjee does not realise the difference between a person taking refuge or refugee and an inflitrator. 

"Mamata Banerjee does not know the difference between a person taking refuge and an infiltrator," Shah said in an interview with news agency ANI. 

He added that the day is not far when the Bharatiya Janata Party will come to power in West Bengal and will stop infiltration completely. He added if Banerjee and the TMC will indulge in such politics over an important national security issue, people will not be with them. 

"The day is not far, when BJP will come to power there and will stop infiltration. If you (Mamata Banerjee) do this kind of politics and with such an important national security issue, you allow infiltration by doing appeasement politics and oppose the refugees from getting citizenship, then people will not be with you," he noted. 

Not only this, the Union Home Minister also raised the question of Bengali Hindus who have come from Bangladesh.

"Mamata Banerjee, there are thousands of platforms to do politics, but please do not harm the Bengali Hindus who have come from Bangladesh. You are a Bengali too...," Shah said. 

Shah challenged Banerjee to show him one section of the CAA law that takes away anyone's citizenship. He added that Banerjee should instead focus on stopping infiltration in her state. 

While challenging Banerjee, Shah said: "I openly challenge her to show me one section of this law that takes away anyone's citizenship. She is creating fear... Mamata Banerjee should not stop us from doing this, she should stop us from going this, she should stop infiltration in her state. Infiltration has completely stopped in Assam because BJP is in power there."

As per the CAA, the Centre will grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India before December 31, 2014.