All Bangladeshis casting votes in India are our citizens: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Mar 04: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said all who came from Bangladesh and have been casting votes in elections were Indian citizens and did not require to apply for citizenship afresh.

Banerjee also slammed the Modi government for its handling of the communal riots in Delhi which has claimed 42 lives so far, and asserted she will not allow West Bengal turn into another Delhi.

"Those who have come from Bangladesh are citizens of India...they have got citizenship. You don't need to apply for citizenship again. You have been casting your votes in elections, electing PM and CM...now they are saying that you are not citizens...don't believe them," she told a public meeting here.

She also asserted she will not let "even a single person" to be driven out of Bengal. The West Bengal chief minister said no refugee living in the state will be deprived of citizenship.

Hitting out at the central government over the Delhi violence, the TMC boss said,"Don't forget this is Bengal. What happened in Delhi will never be allowed to happen here. We do not want Bengal to turn into another Delhi or another Uttar Pradesh."

The BJP has often accused Banerjee of "Muslim appeasement" and pandering to the interests of the minority community for "vote bank politics".