West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to DMK President MK Stalin to ‘meet and chalk out a concerted plan to protest and save our democracy’. The letter came on the day when DMK and its allies led a massive rally in Chennai against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
In her letter, Mamata Banerjee stated that people across the country, especially women, children, farmers, workers and people from the Scheduled Castes and Tribes are in a grip of fear and panic due to the CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC. Stressing on the need to rise against the ‘draconian regime in a united manner’, Mamata requested all the senior leaders and political outfits to ‘stand up against this in a concerted and united manner’. “Let us create peaceful and meaningful opposition to these unholy efforts by the Centre and save India’s democratic soul,” read the letter.
Mamata Banerjee was one of the first chief ministers in the country to be vocal against the union government’s CAA and proposed NRC. She had led a massive protest march in Kolkata last week as a mark of dissent against the CAA. She is also one of the first chief ministers in the country to vow to not implement the CAA in her state, once the Act is notified.
Inviting MK Stalin to meet and chart out a plan to further the opposition against the ruling government, Mamata wrote, “The youth and students have risen against and are facing barbaric and brute force of the Centre. The entire world is watching us; let us all rise to save India of our founders and forefathers.”
On Monday, the DMK and its allies led a huge protest march in Chennai, against the CAA. Flanked by leaders from allied parties including P Chidambaram and Vaiko, Stalin warned the Centre of intensified agitations till the Centre withdraws the Act. The march, which extended from Egmore to Rajarathinam stadium around 2.5 kilometres away, was attended by thousands of people. Over 5,000 police personnel were deployed to provide security for the march.