CAA work to begin as soon as Covid ends, pledges Shah
Home minister tells Mamata Banerjee she won’t be CM after April
Determined to fulfil the BJP’s key poll promise to refugees about their citizenship, Union home minister Amit Shah declared Thursday that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) implementation will get underway as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic and its vaccination drive ends.
Using the CAA as the BJP’s trump card against the Trinamul Congress in poll-bound West Bengal, Mr Shah, on a day’s visit after cancelling two tours last month, made this announcement with full confidence before the Matua community, a sizeable votebank of Hindu migrants now with the BJP, at their bastion in Thakurnagar, North 24 Parganas, to appease them for the long delay in the CAA’s implementation.
“In 2018, we promised that if elected again in 2019, would amend the laws to give Indian citizenship to our Matua brothers. The Matuas voted us to power. The Modi government was formed again. Without wasting time, we introduced the CAA, which now exists. In between the corona spread,” the home minister told the rally.
Attacking chief minister Mamata Banerjee, he added: “Mamatadi started alleging it was a false promise which would never be fulfilled. Mamatadi, we are those who fulfil what we promise. We initiated the CAA. Today I am making a promise. As soon as the vaccination drive ends, and there is relief from corona, the BJP government will undertake the task of giving you citizenship.”
Determined to fulfill the BJP’s key poll promise to the refugees about their citizenship, Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday declared that the Citizenship Amendment Act implementation would get underway as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s vaccination drive ends.
Using CAA as the BJP’s trump card against the ruling Trinamul Congress in poll-bound West Bengal, Mr Shah, who was on a day’s state visit after cancelling his two tours last month, made the announcement with full confidence before the Matua community, a sizeable votebank of the Hindu migrants now with the BJP, at their bastion in Thakurnagar of North 24 Parganas, to placate their discontent over the long delay in the CAA implementation.
“In 2018, we promised that we, if elected again in 2019, would amend the citizenship laws to give Indian citizenship to our Matua brothers. The Matuas voted us to power. Modi government was formed again. Without wasting time, we introduced CAA which now exists. In between corona spread,” Mr Shah told the rally before he lambasted Banerjee for her fierce opposition to CAA.
“Mamatadi started alleging it was a false promise which would never be fulfilled. Betting her life, she vowed to stop it so that it would not happen even if we would have tried. Mamatadi, we are those who fulfill what they promise. We have initiated the CAA. Today I am making a promise on this holy land. As soon as the vaccination drive ends and there is relief from Corona, the BJP government will undertake the task of giving you citizenship,” he said showing his resolve.
Mr Shah also asked Mamata, “It is an enactment of the parliament. How can you stop it? Anyway, you will not be in a position to stop it because after April you will no longer be the CM, Mamatadi!”
Slamming the previous governments at the Centre, Mr Shah said, “The people from the Matua community, Namashudras and others live here. They migrated here as refugees from Bangladesh. They did not get their citizenship and honour even though 70 years have passed. When partition happened, the Congress leaders claimed of giving them citizenship and honour and hug them too. Forget hugging, they did not give citizenship.”