India's West Bengal hit by citizenship law protests

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Bangla Tribune Desk
Published : 11:01, Dec 15, 2019 | Updated : 11:11, Dec 15, 2019

The protestors of the Act mostly targeted railway properties and Murshidabad and Howrah districts bore the brunt of their ire.Photo: PTIViolent protests against the amended Citizenship Act rocked West Bengal for the last few days which saw torching of a number of trains, railway stations and tracks, setting on fire of buses and damage to property.

Imposing President’s Rule would be the only option left if violence over the Citizenship Act continued in West Bengal, the BJP has warned as it blamed chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her “appeasement policies”, reports Hindustan Times.

A mob torched at least four trains, more than two dozen vehicles and six station complexes in various districts of the eastern state on Saturday (Dec 14) as protesters continued to block roads and disrupt railway services over the amended Citizenship Act.

Due to the ongoing protests over the controversial Citizenship Act at railway stations in West Bengal, a section of train services from south India to the eastern state has been disrupted, reports News Minute.

Mamata Banerjee had warned of stern action against those involved in vandalising public property and urged people to maintain peace and tranquillity and protest democratically.

“Once again I appeal to all not to resort to violence and disturb public order, tranquillity and peace,” Banerjee was quoted as saying in a statement issued for the second time on Saturday (Dec 15).

She had also reiterated that the amended citizenship act and the proposed country-wide National Register of Citizens will not be implemented in the state.

Accusing Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators for being behind the ongoing mayhem and arson in several parts of West Bengal, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha Saturday said the party will seek the imposition of President's Rule in the state if the situation continues, the report added.

The Citizenship Bill, cleared by the two Houses of Parliament and signed by the President, is now known as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 or CAA. The agitations over the implementation of CAA, which has been brewing in parts of the country, had turned intense in West Bengal and parts of North Eastern states.

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