Kolkata: Coming down heavily on the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed some people are trying to divide the nation by pursuing politics of hate. The Trinamool Congress leader said that she is ready to give her life but “will not allow a division of the country”.

All I would like to tell you is – stay peaceful, don’t listen to anyone

Mamata Banerjee was speaking at a congregation for Eid namaz at Kolkata’s Red Road. She urged people to unite and ensure that the right-wing BJP party is defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“We want peace in Bengal. We don’t want riots. We don’t want divisions in the country. Those who want to create divides in the country – I promise today on Eid, I am ready to give my life but I will not let the country be divided,” the WB chief minister was quoted as saying by ANI.

Accusing the saffron camp of trying to change the constitution of the country, Banerjee said that her government “will not allow implementation of NRC in West Bengal.”

“All I would like to tell you is – stay peaceful, don’t listen to anyone. A “gaddar party” with whom I have to fight… I have to fight agencies too – I fight them because I have the courage to do so. I am not ready to bow down,” she said.

It has been the TMC’s stand that the National Register of Citizens and the Citizen’s Amendment Act which confers citizenship rights on minorities from neighbouring countries was not needed and existing citizenship records and acts were sufficient.

“I am ready to fight the money power (of her political opponents), and (central) agencies (which her party alleges has been unleashed on TMC with a political motive), but I will not bow my head,” she said.

“Someone takes money from BJP and says that they will divide Muslim votes. I tell them that they don’t have the courage to divide Muslim votes for BJP. It is my promise to you today. There is one year to elections. See who will get elected and who won’t.”