By Express News Service
KOLKATA: In hopes of securing the votes of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in West Bengal in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union minister of state Ajay Mishra on Sunday said the rules will be framed within March 30 next year to implement the contentious CAA.
While addressing a gathering at Thakurnagar, the headquarters of Matuas—a sect comprising Hindu refugees from the neighbouring country—Mishra said no one would be able to drive out the people of the community from India.
The MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kheri constituency made the announcement taking local MP Shantanu Thakur, a representative of Matua community, beside him.
“The process of implementation of the CAA has been initiated. We are in the process of sorting out some complications for the implementation of the act. You don’t need to be worried. You are already citizens of India. Kisi mai ka laal ka himmat nehi hain jo aap ke birudh karwai kar sake (No one will dare take action against you),” said Mishra at the Matua dominated Bongaon constituency.
Mishra’s announcement is said to be politically significant before the next year’s Lok Sabha elections as Matuas in the recent past expressed their discontent over the issue of non-implementation of the citizenship act even after four years after it was passed in Parliament. Thakur himself had expressed his displeasure on several occasions over the issue.
Hindu refugees form a significant chunk of the total electorates in several pockets in south Bengal and Mishra’s announcement is said to be a reflection of the saffron camp’s fear of losing the support of the community. The BJP had made deep inroads in the 2019 general elections in the state’s Matua-belt by promising them citizenship through implementing CAA.
Though the BJP bagged Shantipur Assembly seat, a Matua-dominated constituency, in the 2021 elections but the Trinamool Congress snatched the seat in the by-election as saffron camp’s candidate Jagannath Sarkar preferred to continue as the MP of Ranaghat.
Seconding Mishra’s claim, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the implementation of CAA is a huge task and it would be implemented on right time.
Taking a jibe at the Union minister’s announcement, TMC MP Shantanu Sen said, “It is nothing other than a political gimmick before the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has been unmasked and Matuas have realised that they were duped by the false promise of the BJP. This time, they are not going to get support of the community.” Follow channel on WhatsApp
KOLKATA: In hopes of securing the votes of Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in West Bengal in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Union minister of state Ajay Mishra on Sunday said the rules will be framed within March 30 next year to implement the contentious CAA.
While addressing a gathering at Thakurnagar, the headquarters of Matuas—a sect comprising Hindu refugees from the neighbouring country—Mishra said no one would be able to drive out the people of the community from India.
The MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kheri constituency made the announcement taking local MP Shantanu Thakur, a representative of Matua community, beside him.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“The process of implementation of the CAA has been initiated. We are in the process of sorting out some complications for the implementation of the act. You don’t need to be worried. You are already citizens of India. Kisi mai ka laal ka himmat nehi hain jo aap ke birudh karwai kar sake (No one will dare take action against you),” said Mishra at the Matua dominated Bongaon constituency.
Mishra’s announcement is said to be politically significant before the next year’s Lok Sabha elections as Matuas in the recent past expressed their discontent over the issue of non-implementation of the citizenship act even after four years after it was passed in Parliament. Thakur himself had expressed his displeasure on several occasions over the issue.
Hindu refugees form a significant chunk of the total electorates in several pockets in south Bengal and Mishra’s announcement is said to be a reflection of the saffron camp’s fear of losing the support of the community. The BJP had made deep inroads in the 2019 general elections in the state’s Matua-belt by promising them citizenship through implementing CAA.
Though the BJP bagged Shantipur Assembly seat, a Matua-dominated constituency, in the 2021 elections but the Trinamool Congress snatched the seat in the by-election as saffron camp’s candidate Jagannath Sarkar preferred to continue as the MP of Ranaghat.
Seconding Mishra’s claim, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the implementation of CAA is a huge task and it would be implemented on right time.
Taking a jibe at the Union minister’s announcement, TMC MP Shantanu Sen said, “It is nothing other than a political gimmick before the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has been unmasked and Matuas have realised that they were duped by the false promise of the BJP. This time, they are not going to get support of the community.” Follow channel on WhatsApp
