The Free Press Journal

CAA implementa­tion after vaccinatio­n: HM

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

The controvers­ial citizenshi­p law is back on the menu. The government will start implementi­ng the CAA and the NRC once everyone in the country is vaccinated, said Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a public rally in poll-bound West Bengal.

The assurance was held out to the Matua community of West Bengal. Originally from erstwhile East Pakistan, they are among the Hindus who migrated to India during partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been given Indian citizenshi­p but a sizeable section still awaits the same.

With an estimated population of 30 lakh in the state, the community can tilt the scales in at least four Lok Sabha seats or over 30 assembly constituen­cies in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts. It once stood solidly behind the Trinamool Congress but had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, media reports said.

A section of the state BJP leadership is apprehensi­ve that the delay and confusion over the implementa­tion of the CAA could make them turn against the party.

It can be recalled that ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, the main poll plank of the BJP was ‘Assured citizenshi­p’ to the minorities. Matuas known to be close to the ruling Trinamool Congress had voted for the BJP making Shantanu Thakur the BJP MP from the Bongaon constituen­cy.

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Kolkata
/ Kolkata

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