“Who has asked her to obey NRC?”: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hits back at Mamata Banerjee over NRC remarks

Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 8 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has strongly reacted to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's reported remarks on the National Register of Citizens (NRC), alleging that she is attempting to instill "fear" among Bengali communities ahead of upcoming State Assembly elections.
Speaking at press conference in Guwahati, Sarma dismissed her concerns as unwarranted, saying, "Who has asked her to obey the NRC? She is speaking unnecessarily. She is suddenly saying that she will not obey the NRC. Where is the NRC? Nobody has ordered any NRC."
CM Sarma said, "This is her tactic to create fear among Bengalis and get their vote. She did not talk about NRC for the last 5 years. Only when the Election is coming, she has started talking about all these things."
His reaction comes following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the double-engine government of trying to take away the citizenship of people in the state.
While addressing the public in Jhargram, "I am thinking, are we really independent? I hope our citizenship will not be snatched. Please don't deprive us"
The Chief Minister alleged that the 'double engine government' is trying to push citizens into detention by falsely branding them as Rohingyas and attempting to push them back into Bangladesh.
On Wednesday CM Banerjee said, "If genuine voters are removed from the voter list, then I will protest in the entire world. Malpua (BJP leader Amit Malviya) is demanding my arrest. Even if you come to arrest me or shoot me, I will keep protesting against the insult of the Bengali language."
"There is an NRC conspiracy behind the ongoing SIR activity. In Assam, nearly seven lakh people have been removed from the voter list, which includes Hindu Bengalis. Notices are being sent in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar and Indian residents are being sent to Bangladesh. Not a single name should be excluded from the voter's list. Our two officers received notice from ECI regarding their suspension. There is no need to fear. Eight to nine months are left for the polls, but the BJP has started to suspend people from now itself. ECI is acting as the agent of the BJP," she said. (ANI)