The West Bengal Chief Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, today said that her Government would give the “best care” to refugees who had crossed over to the State from Assam following the ethnic violence there.
“Refugees have crossed over to West Bengal from Assam since riots broke out at Kokrajhar and other areas and we have provided them shelter like our brothers and sisters. We will take the best of care for them,” Ms Banerjee told a public rally in this town in Birbhum district.
“These homeless people have come to Alipurduar, Kumargram and other areas of Jalpaiguri. We will take care for them and honour them as our guests,” she said.
Responsible approach to problem
Ms Banerjee said her Government acted responsibly in the last 10 days by not giving any statement but by working to provide shelter to the homeless people.
“We consider it a greater social responsibility to take care of refugees but we will not allow the CPI (M) to make any political issue out of the sufferings of refugees,” the Chief Minister said, adding that “riots are dangerous. Nobody wants it.”
“We will never support any rioter.”
Accusing the CPI(M) of ‘seeking to politicise the Assam refugee issue’, Ms Banerjee charged the Marxists with ‘planning to foment riots’.