Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma attacks West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata over NRC draft

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma has launched a scathing attack at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for criticising Assam's National Register of Citizens (NRC) final draft.

Sharma called on Banerjee not to bring caste or religion into the matter as it is snatching rights of Indian Muslims, Hindus as well as Christians. He further said that the West Bengal Chief Minister is soon going to lose her fire and support in Bengal while lotus will bloom in the state.

"Do not bring in caste or religion, as they are snatching rights of Indian Muslims, Hindus and Christians too. Bengal mein Mamata didi ka deep bujhne wala hai aur wahan ke daldal mein kamal khilne wala hai. (In Bengal, Mamata's party is soon to die out while the lotus will bloom in the state.)

She knows all this, so is levelling allegations," Sharma said while addressing a gathering here yesterday.

"Modi ji is working for 125 crore people with "Sabka saath sabka vikas". But we are working for Indians. If someone starts living here illegally might be from Bengal, Assam or Uttar Pradesh but he does not have the right to snatch rights of our Hindus and Muslims," Sharma added.

After the release of Assam NRC final draft which missed out the names of nearly four million people, Banerjee gave a stern warning to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the draft list would divide the people and create a civil war-like situation in the country.

Meanwhile, the Congress party also came down hard on the BJP soon after the release of the draft, saying that there was some "political motive" behind the move.

The draft list, which was released on Monday, left out nearly 40 lakh people in Assam, incorporating names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants. The list was updated for the first time since 1951, to account for illegal migration from nearby Bangladesh.

--ANI