"West Bengal not hers alone": Sukanta Majumdar reacts to Mamata Banerjee's refugee offer
Jul 22, 2024
New Delhi [India], July 22 : Union Minister of State and BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar on Monday targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying West Bengal is not hers alone and she needs to talk with the Central Government regarding sheltering Bangladeshi refugees.
Majumdar's remarks came in response to Banerjee's offer to shelter Bangladeshi refugees.
"First of all, I think that the state government should speak with the central government over this issue. The state is not hers alone. It is a federal structure," Majumdar said.
On Sunday, CM Banerjee said that her government would provide shelter to individuals from Bangladesh who seek refuge, amidst ongoing protests in the neighboring country.
Addressing the TMC's Martyrs Day rally in Kolkata, CM Banerjee said, "Don't worry if any of your family members or relatives are in Bangladesh for work or study. We're ready to help them in return back... I can't comment on Bangladesh (issue), as it's a separate country. Whatever needs to be said, the Indian government will say. These are matters that are handled by the Indian government. But if helpless individuals knock on Bengal's door, we will shelter them because a United Nations resolution allows neighbouring regions to assist those in trouble.
The protests in Bangladesh have erupted due to demands for reforming the quota system that reserves civil service jobs for specific groups, including descendants of 1971 war veterans.
The unrest intensified after students opposed a new policy allocating government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters, leading to violence, including attacks on state television headquarters and police booths in Dhaka.
The situation prompted a government curfew, school closures, and nationwide suspensions of mobile and internet services.
Following the protests that resulted in over 100 fatalities, Bangladesh's Supreme Court intervened, slashing the quota reserved for relatives of war veterans from 30 per cent to 5 per cent while allowing 93 per cent to be allocated based on merit and the remaining 2 per cent will be earmarked for members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and the disabled, Al Jazeera reported, citing, local reports.
