Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday that district magistrates should be given the responsibility to grant citizenship to people and reiterated that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was a precursor to the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“Earlier, district magistrates had the authority to issue citizenship cards but now, the power has been revoked. This should be reintroduced as we want people to avail their rights and those who need them can approach the district magistrates. The CAA is related to the NRC and will not let the BJP succeed in its ill intentions. Ahead of the elections, the BJP is simply trying to create panic among people across the country to draw votes,” said Mamata, while addressing a news conference at Uttarkanya, the state’s branch secretariat in Siliguri.

Mamata, who has been consistently vocal against the CAA and the NRC, has renewed her verbal attacks on the saffron ecosystem over the past couple of days as the Centre notified rules of the act.

“They have left the Muslims aside... they want to make them refugees. Even in BJP-ruled states like Assam, there had been protests against the CAA. Earlier, in Assam, when they did the NRC, around 13 lakh Hindus and even one lakh Gorkhas were not included in it. This proves that apart from Muslims, other communities are also not safe. The BJP is trying to promulgate a new concept of Hinduism and insulting the religion,” said the chief minister.

After the notification of CAA rules, Kerala chief minister Pinarai Vijayan has asserted that it will not be implemented in the state.

Also, Biswa Sarma, the chief minister Assam, has said that he will resign if any person, who has not applied for inclusion in NRC in the state, gets citizenship through CAA.

Such remarks from him came after protests rocked Assam as a number of organisations alleged lakhs would enter Assam if the CAA was implemented.

Mamata also denied buying the clarification issued by the Centre yesterday on CAA.

“There is no clarity in the laws. It is against the interest of people and we consider it as a major issue at the upcoming elections. What would happen to the properties which a prospective applicant (of CAA) owns? How can one manage to get old documents like birth certificates of parents?” she said.

At Uttarkanya, as Mamata attended a public service distribution programme, she also referred to CAA.

“Across the world, people moving into any country from his native place get citizenship after a certain time from administrative officials. But in India, a new process has been introduced. It is discriminatory and would put people into trouble instead of protecting their rights,” she said.

Leaders of the saffron camp, who have accused the chief minister for coming up with wrong interpretations, reacted again on Wednesday.

“She is making wrong remarks on CAA to divide people and to polarize votes. Such strategies will not work,” said BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar.