“We were the ones who hit the streets to protest against the NRC (National Register of Citizens). Our Rajbangshi friends are citizens already. They (the BJP) are now screaming CAA CAA again to do politics before the elections. Here everybody is a citizen. We have given them the recognition, permanent settlement, and the benefits of our welfare schemes. If these people aren’t citizens, how did they vote? How did they get the benefits of these welfare schemes?” Banerjee said at a public distribution programme in Cooch Behar district in north Bengal on Monday.
The chief minister said her government has acknowledged all colonies as permanent addresses and all residents who get the benefit of various state government benefits are citizens of the country.
“We have given permanent addresses to all colonies. They get ration, go to schools, get scholarships, and avail of Kisan Bandhu, Shikhashree, Aikyashree, and Lakshmir Bhandar schemes. How were they able to cast votes if they were not citizens?” Banerjee asked.
On Sunday, addressing a public meeting at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Ports and Waterways said, “Ram Temple has been inaugurated and I can guarantee that in the next seven days, not just in West Bengal, the CAA will be implemented across India. The law will be implemented in every state”.
The BJP MP from Bongaon, a constituency dominated by the Matua community, also alleged that despite repeated assurances from the state government, a large number of Matuas have been denied voter IDs and Aadhaar cards. “The chief minister of West Bengal repeatedly said that those who migrated to India after 1971 (Bangladesh liberation war) and have voter IDs and Aadhaar cards are citizens of this country. But there are thousands of people here who have been denied voter ID cards. Is it because they belong to the Matua community and support the BJP? The state government is doing this to suit its political agenda. Those who migrated after 1971 need citizenship to secure their future generations. This is the reason why the Centre has brought in the CAA and it must be implemented,” Thakur said.
Matuas belong to the Scheduled Caste Namasudra community that migrated to India in large numbers, first during the Partition, and then after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. As many as three crore Matuas in West Bengal reside in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts. It is because of the circumstances under which they migrated to India, many of them never formally received Indian citizenship, thus making it a long-standing demand of the community.
However, Thakur’s BJP colleague and Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that CAA will be implemented by February end. “Shantanu Thakur is a Union Minister, who attends Cabinet meetings and therefore, has access to more information. He has made a claim on CAA implementation based on his information. As far as I know, CAA will be implemented by February 29. It may not be implemented in the first half of the next month, but I can clearly say that it will be implemented by February end,” said Adhikari.
The BJP MLA further claimed that the Lok Sabha election notification will be issued in the first half of March. “Once the election notification is issued, the model code of conduct will be in force. Therefore, an announcement in this regard will have to be made in February. We have complete faith that people’s long-standing demand will be fulfilled at last,” added the BJP leader.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister alleged that the Border Security Force (BSF) has been issuing separate identity cards to people living along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. She urged the people to reject these documents as their names would be deleted from the NRC.
Asking people to lodge police complaints against the BSF, the CM said, “The BSF is torturing people. Tell them (BSF) that you have Aadhaar and ration cards and you do not need the fake ID cards. If you accept these cards your name will be deleted from the NRC,” said Banerjee who is on a five-day trip to north Bengal districts.
In the run-up to the 2021 state Assembly elections, the TMC had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India that the BSF was threatening villagers in the border areas. The BSF, however, had denied the charges.
Last December, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that the BJP was committed to the CAA. While addressing a party gathering in West Bengal, Shah had said, “Didi (West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee) often misleads our refugee brothers regarding the CAA. Let me make it clear that CAA is the law of the land and no one can stop it. Everybody is going to get citizenship. This is our party’s commitment”.
The CAA has been in limbo as the Centre is yet to frame its rules amid the Opposition’s strong stand against the law. Soon after the law was passed in 2019, widespread protests broke out across the country. The CAA seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.
CM to sit on dharna against Centre’s funds from Feb 2
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she will once again sit on a dharna on February 2 to mark her protest against the Centre for not clearing dues to the state under various welfare schemes. “The Centre is depriving us of our funds. We will wait till February 1. If we do not get our dues, then I will sit on a dharna on February 2. The dharna will continue in every booth across the state,” said Banerjee. ENS