Will offer shelter to anyone in distress: Mamata on Bangladesh situation; BJP slams her

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that in the wake of the escalating violence in Bangladesh, she would keep the doors of her state open for people in distress from the neighbouring country and offer them shelter.

Banerjee referred to the United Nations Resolution on refugees as justification for her stand over the possible humanitarian crisis that may emerge on account of the severe law and order breakdown that has gripped Bangladesh over the past few days.

“I should not be speaking on the affairs of Bangladesh since that is a sovereign nation and whatever needs to be said on the issue is a subject matter of the Centre. But I can tell you this, if helpless people come knocking on the doors of Bengal, we will surely provide them shelter,” Banerjee said at the 'Martyrs Day' rally of the TMC in Kolkata.

“That’s because there is a United Nations Resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to those under turmoil,” the Bengal CM added while drawing an example from Assamese people who were allowed to live in Alipurduars area of north Bengal for a considerable period during the Bodo strife in the northeastern state.

Assuring all cooperation to Bengal residents whose relatives may have remained stuck on account of the escalating violence on the eastern side of the international border, she also extended assistance to Bangladeshis who came to Bengal but were facing difficulty in returning home.

Banerjee also appealed to the people of West Bengal to not get provoked over matters concerning the current situation in Bangladesh.

“We should exercise restraint and not walk into any provocation or excitement on the issue,” she stated.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also expressed her solidarity with the people who have remained at the receiving end of the ongoing violence in the neighbouring country.

“We are sad to see blood getting spilt and my heart goes out to those students who were killed,” she said.

President of the BJP’s Bengal unit and junior union minister Sukanta Majumdar, however, opined that such matters, involving the country’s foreign policies, should first be consulted with the Centre before any public statement is made.

“It’s true that we are all concerned about the current situation in Bangladesh over which Delhi is keeping a close watch. Our chief minister should not be voicing her opinions on matters involving our country’s foreign policies without first consulting the Centre,” he said.

Violence escalated in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and elsewhere over student protests demanding reforms of the quota system for government jobs.

The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.

Later, the BJP slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for offering shelter to anyone coming in distress from Bangladesh and called it an "evil plan" of the INDIA bloc to settle illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country to Jharkhand to win elections.

BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya also questioned Banerjee's authority to offer shelter to anyone coming from other country, saying immigration and citizenship are exclusively in the Centre's domain, and that states have no locus-standi in such matters.

This came after the West Bengal chief minister said at a Kolkata rally that in the wake of the escalating violence in Bangladesh, she would keep the doors of her state open for people in distress from the neighbouring country and offer them shelter.

Banerjee referred to the United Nations Resolution on refugees as justification for her stand over the possible humanitarian crisis that may emerge on account of the severe law and order breakdown that has gripped Bangladesh over the past few days.

Reacting sharply to Banerjee's remarks, Malviya wrote in a post on X, "Who gave Mamata Banerjee the authority to welcome anyone in India? Immigration and citizenship are exclusively in the Center's domain. The States have no locus-standi."

"This is part of I.N.D.I Alliance's evil plan to settle illegal Bangladeshis from Bengal to Jharkhand, so that they can win elections," the BJP leader charged.

Hitting out at Banerjee, Malviya further said on odd days, she says she will not allow Hindu refugees, who came to India to escape religious persecution, to apply for citizenship under CAA and get their legitimate rights.

If they insist, she will ask "illegal Rohingyas, who vote for the TMC, to burn trains, block roads and kill people", he alleged.

On "even days" she says Bangladeshis are welcome to India, the BJP leader added.