Committed to NRC, will send back 1 crore illegal Bangladeshis living in Bengal: Dilip Ghosh

Addressing a series of rallies in the North 24 Parganas district, Ghosh said that those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) are anti-Bengalis and against the idea of India.

He said 1 crore illegal Muslims in the state are "thriving" on the government's Rs 2 per kg subsidised rice.

"We will send them back," he announced.

"Why you are behaving in such a way, why are you trying to stop the CAA and the NRC?" he said, hitting out at those opposing the move.

"We are committed to NRC. We will also ensure that the CAA is implemented in West Bengal," he added.

Coming down heavily on the Trinamool Congress and the other opposition parties, Ghosh said that when "lungi-clad Rohingyas" were setting railway stations and other public properties on fire for three days, they did not speak out.

"Such incidents of arson caused a loss of Rs 500-600 crore," the BJP MP said, referring to the violent protests that broke out in the state after Parliament cleared the CAA in December last year.

He said that he has no qualms in being branded communal for supporting the cause of Hindu refugees, who had to run for their lives after being religiously persecuted.

"Those who are opposing the CAA are either anti-India or anti-Bengali. They are against the idea of India that is why they are opposing Hindu refugees getting citizenship," Ghosh said.

He said the BJP was the first party which thought of granting citizenship to refugees after coming to power, while all other parties had only used them as vote bank.

Continuing his tirade against eminent personalities, opposing the CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC, he said their "hearts bleed for infiltrators".

"What about Hindu refugees? They don't have any answers. This is a double standard," Ghosh said, days after terming them "parasites".

Exuding confidence about forming the next government in West Bengal, the BJP leader said Mamata Banerjee's party will be restricted to 50 seats in the 2021 state polls.