BJP, RSS spreading misinformation on SC order on NRC: Bengal CM
Kolkata, Aug 5 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday attacked the BJP and the RSS, accusing them of "spreading misinformation" on the Supreme Court's directive in publishing the National Register of Citizens in Assam.
Reiterating that the names of many Indians were "deliberately" left out of the draft NRC in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Assam, Banerjee said every step taken by these outfits are influenced by "political vendetta".
"It is unfortunate that the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are making and spreading misleading statements against the Supreme Court which never asked for deletion of names of Indian citizens from the list," Banerjee wrote on Twitter.
"The list of Indian citizens left out comprise Bengalis, Assamese, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Biharis, Gurkhas, UPites, Punjabis and natives from four southern states," she claimed.
Referring to kin of former Indian President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed who were left out of the draft NRC, Banerjee said that such families are being put in panic because of serious anomalies.
She also raised questions over the deployment of 200 companies of central forces in Assam following the publication of the draft NRC on July 30 and alleged that the core values of India, such as democracy and secularism, are being destroyed by the BJP and RSS.
"Where is democracy? Where is secularism? Why are the core values of our country being destroyed? Why have 200 companies of central forces being sent to Assam. Every single action of the BJP and RSS is one of deliberate destructiveness and political vendetta," she added.
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Mehendi artists in Jharkhand denied entry to wedding venue, asked to remove hijabs
Hazaribagh: A mehendi artist and her team were allegedly denied entry to a wedding venue and asked to remove their hijabs before applying mehendi at a hotel in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh. Following the altercation, the artists refused and left the venue.
According to Siasat Daily, Alia Ahmed and her team had arrived at Hotel Aranya Vihar to apply mehendi for a client. However, they were reportedly stopped at the entrance and asked to remove their hijabs before entering.
In a video circulating online, a man at the venue can be heard saying, “Bohot dikkat hai. Jaise tumko dikkat hai hijab me nai rehne ki waise hume dikkat hai isme lagane me. (We have a major problem. Just like you have an issue with not wearing a hijab, we also have a problem with you putting mehendi while wearing it).”
According to Alia, a client from Delhi had booked her services to apply mehendi on 40 to 50 people for a wedding. She said that an elderly relative of the family asked them to remove their religious coverings.
Refusing the demand, Alia said, “Yeh toh aisa galat hai na. Nai utar sakte hai hum. Nai toh phir chod dijiye. Hum wapas chale jayinge,” after which she and her team left the hotel premises.
In the video, Alia alleged that they were insulted over their attire. “They disrespected our hijab and niqab and said that only if we removed it would we be allowed to put mehendi,” she said.
“We waited long hours in this heat while we were fasting. No one even told us to sit,” she said.
Alia further said that she had previously worked with people from different communities and questioned why her religious attire had become an issue.
“Hamara kaam se matlab hona chahiye. Na ki hamara niqab se (Our work should matter, not our niqab),” she said, adding that one of her students, Pooja, belonged to another caste.
She also said, “Jab humko koi dikkat nahi hai caste me, toh yeh log ko kyun dikkat hai hamare hijab aur niqab se (If we have no problem with caste, why do they have a problem with our hijab and niqab).”
Alia also expressed concern that if such discrimination continued, other artists wearing hijab or niqab could face similar situations in the future.
