Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the Matuas regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that if his party wins 30 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal, the TMC government will fall in the state.
Addressing a BJP rally in Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency, which has a significant Matua community presence, Shah assured the refugee community that there would be no hassle in getting citizenship and urged them to apply for citizenship under the CAA.
“Mamata Banerjee is spreading lies regarding CAA and misleading the Matuas. I want to tell my Matua brothers and sisters to apply for citizenship without any fear. I give you my guarantee that there will be no hassle in getting Indian citizenship. You will be able to live with dignity in the country,” said Shah, referring to Mamata’s constant appeal to people to not fill the CAA form.
Shah alleged that the TMC supremo was opposing the citizenship law to appease “the infiltrators” so that her “vote bank” remained with her party during the Lok Sabha elections.
“Due to her vote bank politics, Mamata didi is helping infiltrators get citizenship but opposing CAA, which is meant to provide citizenship to refugee communities here. Let me remind you Mamata didi that CAA is a law of the land and you cannot stop it. I want to ask my brothers here, shouldn’t infiltration stop in Bengal? Can Mamata didi stop it? She welcomes infiltrators but puts up roadblocks for Matuas and Namasudras. But Mamata didi’s time is up. If we get 30 seats in Bengal, then the Mamata Banerjee government will no longer be here,” said Shah, adding, “Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are Mamata Banerjee’s vote bank in Bengal”.
He also appealed to the Matuas to upload their applications under the CAA, and said that if they faced any issues, then they must reach out to Union minister and BJP leader Shantanu Thakur, who is contesting from Bangaon.
“No power in the world can stop my refugee brothers from becoming citizens of India. This is the promise of Modi Ji. Mamata Banerjee must remember that citizenship falls under the exclusive authority of the central government, not the state governments,” the Union Minister further said.
In March, the Centre notified the rules for CAA, four years after the law was passed by Parliament to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.
The TMC has been campaigning against the CAA, saying one would have to declare himself or herself as a foreigner to apply for Indian citizenship.
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. Most of the three crore Matuas in West Bengal live in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts with 1.5 crore estimated voters from the community.
Because of the circumstances under which they migrated to India, many of them never formally received Indian citizenship, making this a long-standing demand of the community. The Matuas play a crucial role in Bangaon,
Barasat, Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, and Bardhaman Purba constituencies.
Bangaon goes to polls on May 20.
The Union Home Minister further criticised the TMC govt in the state over corruption charges. “From cut money culture to infiltration, from bomb blasts to Bhatija’s goons harassing people, from Syndicate Raj to utter lawlessness, the situation of West Bengal is bad under the TMC rule. It’s only (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi Ji who can save the state of West Bengal from this situation. Those involved in the chit fund scam, teacher recruitment scam, municipal recruitment scam, ration scam, cow and coal smugglers should be prepared to go to jail. No one will be spared,” Shah added.
Addressing another election rally in Uluberia in Howrah district, Shah said the BJP government will not stop the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme in Bengal. “Let me assure you that once the BJP comes to power in Bengal, the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will not be stopped. In fact, we will raise the financial assistance (to the women) by Rs 100. We are committed to the welfare of the people of Bengal,” said Shah, pointing to Mamata’s recent claim that the BJP will stop the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme if they come to power in the state.
Under Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, the allowance for general category women per month is Rs 1,000, while for women under the SC/ST category, the financial assistance is Rs 1200 per month.