Left students protest against Mamata for meeting PM Modi
Kolkata, Jan 11: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday faced protests by Left students for meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and allegedly "diluting the fight against CAA".
The Left students were protesting against her meeting Modi at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata and sharing the stage with the prime minister at a function later in the evening on the first day of his two-day visit to the state.
They lanched a dharna at the Dorina Crossing at Esplanade and said it would continue as long as the prime minister is in the state.
Members of SFI, AISA, IC of Presidency University students unions chanting 'Azadi' and 'Shame Shame' broke three barricades put up near the stage of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad's (TMCP) sit-in at Rani Rashmoni Avenue, not far from the Raj Bhavan, and demanded explanation from Mamata as she rushed from a programme attended by Modi to the venue.
They wanted to know why Banerjee met the PM, who, they said, is behind the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens and "diluted the fight" against it.
"We were heading towards the Raj Bhavan. But we were prevented from doing so by the police near TMCP's dharna site on nearby Rani Rashmoni Avenue. When the CM arrived, we demanded an explanation from her," Subho Biswas, a student of Presidency University, claimed.
An SFI leader Tapas Das said the protests would go on as long as Modi was in the city on Sunday.
"We demanded an explanation from Mamata Banerjee about her meeting the prime minister at the Raj Bhavan and sharing the stage at an official programme ... There is a secret understanding between Mamata Banerjee and Modi. She has been exposed. "We will sit on dharna at the Esplanade crossing till the prime minister leaves the city tomorrow," he said.
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Mamata, who was seen arguing with Left students, sought to clarify her stand and said it was her "constitutional obligation to meet the PM".
"I
am
the
only
leader
who
met
Narendra
Modi
and
told
him
that
the
CAA,
NRC
and
NPR
cannot
be
implemented.
We
have
been
protesting
from
day
one
against
CAA.
The
issue
before
both
of
us
(TMCP
and
Left
students'
unions)
is
the
same,
so
please
don't
deviate
from
it.
"I
request
you
all
to
protest
in
a
democratic
way
...
We
should
fight
the
anti-CAA
battle
together.
We
are
fighting
on
the
same
issue,"
she
told
the
Left
students
unions.
She
also
asked
the
TMCP
students,
who
were
separated
by
a
barricade
put
up
by
police,
to
remain
calm
and
not
retaliate.
Mamata
was
seen
sitting
on
the
dais
surrounded
by
security
guards
and
TMCP
students
raised
counter
slogans
chanting
'Bande
Mataram'
and
'Down
with
BJP
and
its
cohorts'.
A
senior
Kolkata
Police
Police
officer
said
Banerjee
is
still
present
at
the
sit-in
venue
and
officers
and
extra
policemen
are
present
there.
"We
are
alert," he
added.