BJP made fake promises to Matuas, CAA implementation won't happen anytime soon: TMC

The TMC on Wednesday claimed thatthe BJP was trying to fox the Matua sect -- a community ofmigrants from Bangladesh -- with the promise of implementingthe Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) sometime soon, as thedeadline for framing its rules has been extended till July.

State minister Bratya Basu, during a press meet here,said the saffron party is planning to garner support byorganising 'rath yatra' ahead of assembly polls, but its ''fakeand divisive'' politics for individual gains stand exposed.

''The BJP is practising divisive politics in Assam andBengal over CAA implementation, notwithstanding the fact thatit has adversely affected the Hindu populace among others inthe neighbouring state.

''The Home Ministry's statement on CAA in the Lok Sabhaon Tuesday has brought to light the saffron camp's fakepolitics to woo the Matua community in the state,'' the TMCleader said at the party headquarters here.

Basu said that the deadline for framing the CAA ruleshas been extended, and the law wouldn't be implemented anytimebefore the assembly polls.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said ina written reply in Parliament on Tuesday that the ''rules underthe Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are under preparation.

The Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and RajyaSabha have granted extension of time up to April 9 and July 9respectively to frame these rules under the CAA''.

The TMC leader claimed that Home Minister Amit Shahprobably cancelled his public meeting in Matua stronghold inNorth 24 Parganas last week, as the promise made to them onCAA implementation might not be fulfilled.

He maintained that the community has every right to beangry about this development, and asked the Centre to clarifyits stand on the citizenship law.

Shah's two-day tour of the state from January 30 wascancelled following a low-intensity IED blast near the IsraelEmbassy in New Delhi.

Asserting that CAA implementation would also hurt theinterests of Bengali Hindus, he recalled that ''19 lakh Bengalirefugees were sent to detention camps in Assam, following theNRC exercise''.

Taking a jibe at the saffron camp over its plans tohold a 'rath yatra', Basu said, ''Sri Chaitanya, who hadpreached togetherness and equality, is associated with thecultural and religious carnival, mainly celebrated in Odisha.

''A Muslim man was also instrumental in organising theoriginal yatra. The saffron party, however, is opposed tothose ideals.'' The CAA, passed by the Parliament in 2019, aims togrant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants who moved to Indiafrom neighbouring countries to escape religious persecution.

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a documentcontaining names of all genuine Indian citizens. It wasupdated in Assam two years ago.