BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari said Matua community members will also be granted citizenship. (File)
Kolkata:
West Bengal Assembly Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari has insisted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be enforced in the state and has challenged Minister Mamata Banerjee to stop its implementation.
During a meeting in Thakurnagar of North 24 Parganas district, an area dominated by the Matuas people originating from Bangladesh, Mr Adhikari said the CAA does not propose to strip anyone of their citizenship if one is a genuine resident. have legal documents.
“We have discussed the CAA many times. It will be implemented in the state. If you have the courage, stop its implementation,” said Nandigram MLA, clearly referring to the premier.
The CAA facilitates citizenship for migrants of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
However, as the rules under the act have yet to be framed by the government, so far no one has been able to be granted citizenship under that act.
“The Matua community members will also be granted citizenship,” Mr. Adhikari said at the public meeting on Saturday.
A politically significant community, Matuas is divided into BJP and Trinamool camps. With an estimated 30 lakh Matuas in the state, the community has influence in at least 5 Lok Sabha seats and nearly 50 council seats in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.
Union Minister and BJP MP from Bongaon Shantanu Thakur also said the CAA would be “real in West Bengal and the Narendra Modi government is committed to realizing the goal”.
Meanwhile, Trinamool leader and West Bengal senior minister Firhad Hakim said the BJP is “playing” with the CAA card ahead of the 2023 panchayat polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha election with “an eye on the government.” value of the voting bank”.
“But, we will never allow that to happen,” Hakim said.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
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