West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, will on Monday noon begin the first of three major rallies by the Trinamool Congress against the legislation. Banerjee is expected to participate in at least two of the rallies.
West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar is not pleased with the planned rallies. Dhankhar, who been at loggerheads with the Banerjee government since his appointment to the post, tweeted that he was "extremely anguished" that Banerjee and her ministers were spearheading a rally against the Citizenship Act, which he described as being the "law of the land". Dhankhar called the protest plan "unconstitutional and inflammatory".
Dhankhar tweeted, “I am extremely anguished that CM and ministers are to spearhead rally against CAA, law of the land. This is unconstitutional. I call upon CM to desist from this unconstitutional and inflammatory act at this juncture and devote to retrieve the grim situation.”
On Monday, Banerjee will lead a rally against the Citizenship Act and the NRC at Kolkata. The rally on Monday is expected to begin at 1pm near the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar on Red Road and end at Jorasanko Thakurbari, the home of Rabindranath Tagore.
On Tuesday, the TMC is organising a rally from the 8B bus stand in Jadavpur, beginning at 1pm, which will end at Jadubabu's Bazar in Bhowanipore via Prince Anwar Shah Road. According to The Telegraph newspaper, Banerjee is "likely to lead" the Tuesday rally.
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A third rally will be be held on Wednesday from the Howrah Maidan from 1pm till the Dorina Crossing in Esplanade. According to The Telegraph, the third rally could “possibly be without” Banerjee's participation.
Governor Dhankhar had taken grim note of violence in parts of West Bengal during protests against the Citizenship Act since Friday. Dhankhar had alleged the "disturbing developments in the state" would seriously compromise constitutional values and rule of law. He directed the DGP and chief secretary to brief him about the situation on Monday. Dhankhar had on Sunday claimed Banerjee had not acted on his demand to withdraw advertisements that claimed NRC or Citizenship Act would not be enforced in West Bengal.
