BONGAON, (WB) May 14: In a bid to address concerns of the Matuas over citizenship, Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured the community that its members would get citizenship under the CAA and accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of spreading falsehood about it.
Addressing a rally in Bongaon, a stronghold of the Matua community, in North 24 Parganas district, Shah asserted that Banerjee can “never stop the implementation of the CAA in the state as it is a law by the central government”.
“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,” he said.
Shah accused Banerjee of “lying” and spreading “falsehood” about the CAA.
“Mamata Banerjee is lying that anyone who applies for citizenship under the CAA will face problems. I have come to assure the people of the Matua community that no one will face any trouble. You will get citizenship and will be able to live with respect in the country,” he said.
The minister also said, “I guarantee you that no one will face any inconvenience and difficulty. You will get both citizenship and respect in the country.” The Matuas, originally from erstwhile East Pakistan, are a weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh, following religious persecution.
The Matua community’s initial jubilation over the implementation of CAA rules has been dampened as the All India Matua Mahasangha has advised its members to abstain from submitting citizenship applications due to lack of necessary documents proving their previous residential address in Bangladesh.
Shah, addressing a considerable Matua population in the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, attacked Banerjee for opposing the CAA and “taking out rallies in support of infiltrators to appease her vote bank”.
“Why is she against refugees obtaining citizenship? She is supporting infiltration in Bengal but opposes Hindu refugees getting citizenship. She is taking out rallies against the CAA and supporting infiltrators,” he said.
Banerjee had recently claimed that if the opposition bloc INDIA comes to power, of which the TMC is a part at the national level, it would repeal the CAA by bringing in a new law in Parliament. (PTI)
