Kolkata, Jan 23 (NIE): Kicking off his party’s campaign in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections, BJP president Amit Shah Tuesday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of “misleading” people on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and said Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh refugees in the state “need not be afraid” because the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has been brought to grant them citizenship.

Speaking at a rally in Malda, Shah targeted the TMC: “They are very fond of infiltrators. To expel the infiltrators, NRC was brought but they misled the people of Bengal by saying Bengalis will be driven out. I want to assure all refugees living in Bengal — Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh — that they need not be afraid . We have brought the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to grant citizenship to each and every Hindu Bangladeshi. No one will be left out. Whether the person is a Buddhist, Sikh or Christian. Those who have been oppressed and have come from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh will be granted citizenship by the BJP’s Narendra Modi government.”

(“Inko ghuspetiyon bahut pyaare hain. Unko nikaalne ke liye NRC laate hain, woh Bangal ki janata ko gumrah karte hain ki isse toh Bangali log chale jayenge. Mein Bangal mey rehte hue saare saranarthi, Hindu, Boudh aur Sikh ko ashwasth karna chahta hoon darne ki zaroorat nahin hain. Hum Citizenship (Amendment) Bill laaye hain, ek ek Hindu Bangladeshi ko hum nagarikta dene ka kaam karne wale hain. Koi nahin chhut jayega. Chahe Boudh ho, chahe Sikh ho ya chahe Christian ho. Jo wahan se pratarit ho kar Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh se aaye hain, iss sab ko citizenship dene ka kaam yeh Bharatiya Janata Party ki Narendra Modi sarkar karne wali hai.”)

Shah said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should make her stand clear on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill: “Hindu refugees from Bangladesh are seeking an answer from you… Tell the people whether you will support this Bill… This Bill will be a major poll plank in West Bengal.”