Brief Outline: Narendra Modi has changed all the politician in India and all are running to get whatever votes they can gather and from any people staying in this land, Mamata Banerjee is also doing the same when she contradicts her own stance taken earlier on Bangladeshi Immigrants.

Facts Check: True.

What is Viral? 

Google Advertisement:

Facts Check Analysis: Over the last 20 years a lot has changed for Mamata in politics from being a MP, she has now become a Chief Minister of a well known state West Bengal.

Union Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said in a tweet “The West Bengal CM, Mamata Banerjee has stated in the LS on 4.8..2005: “The infiltration in Bengal has become a disaster now... I have both the Bangladeshi & the Indian voters list. This is a very serious matter. I would like to know when would it be discussed in the House?” 

Jaitley was true to say how Mamata statements in the parliament in 2005 to show how she has now taken a U-turn. She has said earlier that “The infiltration in Bengal has become a disaster now. You can see the Bangladeshi as well as the Indian names in the list. I have both the Bangladeshi and the Indian voters list. This is a very serious matter. I would like to know when would it be discussed in the House”

Mamata Banerjee in 1998

Back in 1998, she was not serious about the Bangladesh immigrants, as the Trinamool Congress was just formed after splitting from the Congress Party. Back in July 27, 1998 debate text of parliament with the title, ‘Raised reported deportation of Bengali-speaking muslim workers from Mumbai.’

KUMARI MAMATA BANERJEE : Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is not only now that we have raised this issue but we have raised it earlier also, some three-four years back. I agree to what Shri Sharad Pawar, the hon. Leader of the Opposition has said. On this very floor of the House, I raised this issue so many times that in Maharashtra, in the name of Bengladeshis and in the name of deportation, some Indian citizens are being harassed. They may be Bengalis. But what message are we conveying to the people from this House? Because they are Muslims, that is why they are being harassed. That is wrong.

Sir, I appeal to your goodself that our country should not be divided on the basis of religion. It is our Constitutional Right that every citizen should be protected as a human being, as a citizen of this country.

But if the trend is like this, may I request the Home Minister through the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs that he should make a statement on this today itself? They should ask the Government of Maharashtra as to how many people are being deported from Maharashtra to Bangladesh. They were taken off the train en route Howrah... (Interruptions)...We know the place also... (Interruptions)... Please let me finish. Who is really an Indian citizen? Even if somebody is a Bangladeshi, he should not be treated like cats and dogs, as we have traditional ties, ethnic and common culture with Bangladesh.

Yes, there are some people there who speak Bangla. They may come from different parts of that country in search of jobs, because of their economic problems. They are poor people. They may come. But in India, everybody is in minority. Who is not in minority? I am from Bengal. I am in majority in Bengal but I am in minority in the rest of the country. Similarly, Maharashtra people are in majority in Maharashtra but they are in minority in other parts of the country. Biharis are in majority in Bihar but they are in minority in Kerala. So, everybody is in majority in this country and everybody belongs to minority sections of this country.

So, a message should go to the people that nobody is harassed like this and the people are not tortured like this. We have to consider these cases on humanitarian grounds. I condemn this incident and I request that this matter be taken care of without any delay.

Mamata Banerjee in 2005 

However in 2005 when the Congress led-UPA was in power at the centre and she has not yet become the CM of the state, when the CPI(M) ruling the state, Banerjee projected the the Illegal immigration from Bangladesh as a major issue in the Parliament. Look the below video which show her becoming angry and throwing the paper on Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Mamata Banerjee in 2018

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee has taken a lead in dismissing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for Assam. A day later on July 31, West Bengal Assembly passed a resolution condemning the NRC for Assam. West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee moved the motion in Assembly. He said, "The NRC is nothing but a game plan for vote bank politics," Chatterjee said.

Mamata Banerjee said, "This divide-and-rule policy will finish the country." She alleged that it was a BJP game-plan to throw out Bengalis and Biharis from Assam. Mamata Banerjee also said that the BJP was the real infiltrator.

Why is she Angry

Muslims comprise over 30 per cent of West Bengal population. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) has positioned itself as a Muslim-friendly political party as opposed to the BJP, which is trying to make inroads in West Bengal.

West Bengal has a sizeable number of Bangladesh migrants living illegally. The exact number is not known as no targetted headcount has been undertaken to date.

In July 2004, the then Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal informed Parliament that there were about 1.20 crore illegal Bangladeshis in India. West Bengal had maximum 57 lakh of them followed by Assam, where 50 lakh Bangladeshis lived illegally. However, Jaiswal withdrew his statement following an outcry.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told the Rajya Sabha in November 2016 that the number of Bangladeshis living illegally in India was 2 crore. He did not specify the numbers living in West Bengal. But the BJP has claimed that some 80 lakh Bangladeshis are living in West Bengal. This can be a polarising issue in the state.

About The Author

Isabella is an Indian fact-checker and news writer, writing news for Ayupp since 2014.

You Might Be Interested In

Latest On Ayupp.com