Mamata Banerjee calls for 'impartial' committee on CAA; pained at demand for 'referendum', says Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar

Amid an intensified political battle over the Citizenship Amendment Act , West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of demanding a “referendum” on the contentious law, generating fresh controversy. In a series of tweets, Dhankhar said that he is “distressed, pained and hurt as a citizen of this great nation” while asking her to withdraw the reported statement. “I appeal CM Mamata Bannerjee to please withdraw her reported statement ‘Let there be an impartial organisation like United Nations or National Human Rights Commission hold a referendum to see how many people are in favour or against Citizenship (Amendment) Act’”, he said in a tweet.

According to ANI, the West Bengal chief minister demanded that an “impartial organisation” like the United Nations should form a committee to see how many people were in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Act. [caption id=“attachment_7766721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mamata Banerjee. ANI/PTI[/caption] “Let there be an impartial organisation like United Nations or Human Rights Commission… form a committee to see how many people are in favour or against the Citizenship Amendment Act,” she said while addressing a gathering in Kolkata, according to ANI. She also accused the BJP of “dividing” the country and said that the protests against the amended Citizenship Act will not stop unless the government withdraws the legislation, which aims to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from three countries in India’s neighbourhood. “Suddenly after 73 years of Independence, we have to prove that we are Indian citizens. Where was BJP at that time? BJP is dividing the country. Don’t stop your protest because we have to get CAA revoked… Protests will get stronger as the day passes,” Banerjee said while speaking at a protest in Kolkata. “You have won 38 percent vote after doing so much and many of them are against you. It’s bad luck for us that we have to give our fathers and mothers identity. All are citizens and suddenly who gave this idea that we have to give proof of it… They are doing dirty politics,” she added. Banerjee has been vehemently opposing the amended Citizenship Act and has said that she will not allow the legislation to be implemented in West Bengal. Several other non-BJP chief ministers have also echoed similar views. With inputs from agencies