Kolkata, Dec 31 Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed the core leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal to constantly counter Trinamool Congress’ propaganda, which is spreading fear and panic among voters from the Matua community about their potential loss of voting rights following the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.
While addressing a press conference in the city on Tuesday afternoon, the Union Home Minister clearly assured the Matua community that the voting rights of individuals who have submitted applications for citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will be preserved. Later in the day, he had a meeting with the core state leadership of the party, where he directed the state party leaders to counter Trinamool Congress’ constant propaganda on the matter, said a state committee member of the BJP in West Bengal.
He also directed the core state leadership to organise regular interaction programmes with the Matua community voters, assuring them protection of their voting rights and allaying their fears in the matter.
“As regards the formalities about those submitting applications for citizenship under the CAA, the Union Home Minister has assured us of looking into the matter personally,” the state committee member said.
Matuas are people from a socially backward community who came to West Bengal as refugees from neighbouring Bangladesh and settled in various pockets of the state, with their concentration being mainly in Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts.
Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal started, Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have been constantly making claims that several Matua voters settled in the state would lose their voting rights.
Besides giving specific instructions on the Matua issue, the state committee member said, the Union Home Minister had also directed the state leaders to constantly counter the propaganda of CPI(M)-led Left Front and a section of the state Congress leaders in West Bengal of a clandestine understanding between the top leadership of BJP and Trinamool Congress.
"Finally, he directed us to start aggressive campaigning for the state Assembly polls from the beginning of the new year, considering that the polling might be as early as April next year,” the state committee member said.
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