Matuas apprehensive about future of CAA : BJP MLA

Ahead of the possible visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to West Bengal, BJP MLA Asim Sarkar on Wednesday said delay in implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act CAA has created apprehensions among the Matuas, and they may hit the streets seeking its implementation.Sarkar, a BJP legislator from the Matua community dominated Haringhata, said the delay was creating confusion among people who had trusted the saffron camp and ensured the partys victory in 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.The Matua community has trusted us, has faith in us and voted for us in 18 seats.

Ahead of the possible visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to West Bengal, BJP MLA Asim Sarkar on Wednesday said delay in implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has created apprehensions among the Matuas, and they may hit the streets seeking its implementation.

Sarkar, a BJP legislator from the Matua community dominated Haringhata, said the delay was creating confusion among people who had trusted the saffron camp and ensured the party's victory in 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019.

''The Matua community has trusted us, has faith in us and voted for us in 18 seats. There is worry among them as to why the CAA has not been introduced yet. The Matuas may have to come together and hit the streets to press for its implementation,'' he said at a community program in North 24 Parganas district.

Prominent Matua leader and Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, who too was present at the programme, however, said, ''CAA will be implemented, there is nothing to worry about it''.

The promise of implementing the controversial CAA had been a major poll plank of the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and state poll. It is considered by the saffron party's leaders as a plausible factor that led to the rise of BJP in Bengal.

Sarkar also had a word of caution for the ruling TMC, which is opposed to the implementation of CAA.

He said if someone opposes the Act, then the entire Matua community will hit the streets in the days to come.

''The ruling TMC has opposed the CAA. The state must support its the implementation,'' he iterated.

Shah is likely to pay a three-day visit to West Bengal begining May 4.

Senior TMC leader and a prominent leader of the Matuas, Mamata Bala Thakur alleged that the BJP has tried to fool the state's people with false promises of citizenship.

''The BJP was never serious about giving citizenship. It only misguided a section of the masses with false promises. Now the truth is out,'' she said.

The Centre has made it clear that citizenship to the eligible beneficiaries of CAA will be given only after rules under the legislation are notified.

The objective of the Act is to grant Indian citizenship to illegal migrants who entered India on or before 31st December 2014, from neighbouring countries if they belonged to religious minorities - Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians - in those countries. Refugees who came from what was East Pakistan are automatically considered Indian citizens if they crossed over before March 24, 1971.

Members of the Matua community, who make up a large chunk of the state's Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) since the 1950s primarily due to religious persecution.

There are about 30 lakh Matuas in West Bengal and the community electorally influences at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 50 assembly seats in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.