New Delhi, December 19: Amid ongoing protests over the Centre's Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for a nationwide on the sensitive issue. The voting, she said, should be conducted under the watch of an international "impartial" body. Internet in Assam Must be Restored by 5 PM Today, Orders Gauhati HC as Services Remain Suspended Due to Anti-CAA Protests.

Mamata, whose Trinamool Congress (TMC) party is up in protest against the CAA-NRC project of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Centre, said either the United Nations (UN) or the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) should be roped in for ascertaining the fate of CAA-NRC project. If a free and fair voting is conducted, the nation would enmasse reject the "divisive" citizenship project, the Bengal CM claimed.

"Let there be an impartial organisation like United Nations or National Human Rights Commission form a committee to see how many people are in favour or against," she said.

The Chief Minister further called upon the people of West Bengal to continue peaceful protests and demonstrations in all parts of the state. The agitation, she stressed, must continue till the controversial law is not revoked by the central government.

"Suddenly after 73 years of independence we have to prove that we are Indian citizens. Where was BJP's head and tail at that time, BJP is dividing the country. Don't stop your protest because we have to get CAA revoked," Mamata added.

The CAA, passed by the Indian Parliament last week, mandates the grant of citizenship to all non-Muslim refugees who have entered India on or before December 31, 2014 from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. A section of Indian Muslims view the law, in prism of the proposed nationwide NRC, as a ploy to rid them of their citizenship. "If a Hindu's name is excluded from the NRC, he would automatically get citizenship through CAA. But won't a Muslim, whose name is excluded from the NRC, would have to go to detention centres," asked Hyderabad lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 19, 2019 05:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).