The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented as soon as Covid-19 cases subside, Union Home Minister Amit Shah who is in Bengal’s Siliguri, said on Thursday.
He made it clear that the controversial citizenship law is back on the Centre’s agenda.
Speaking at a public meeting in Siliguri in North Bengal, Amit Shah accused Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “spreading rumours” that the new citizenship law would not be enforced.
“I have come to North Bengal today. I want to make it clear that the Trinamool Congress is spreading rumours that the CAA will not be implemented. I want to say that as soon as the Covid wave abates we will implement CAA on the ground,” Shah said.
“Mamata didi, did you want the infiltration to continue? But I want to tell you the CAA was a reality and it will remain a reality and the TMC cannot do anything about it,” added the Home Minister.
Banerjee reacted instantly to Amit Shah’s statement.
“This is their plan. Why are they not bringing the bill to Parliament? They are not coming in 2024, I am telling you. We don’t want any citizens rights to suffer. Unity is our strength. He has come after one year. Har baar aate hain ganda baat karte hain (Every time they come here, they talk rubbish),” the Chief Minister said.
Earlier Shah on Thursday inaugurated BSF’s floating border outposts at Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Shah also flagged off a boat ambulance at a floating BOP at Sutlej here.
The union home minister arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on a two-day visit to the state.
He was received by senior BSF officials at the Hingalganj camp. Immediately after his landing from a chopper at the helipad of BSF’s 85th Battalion at Hingalganj, Shah was greeted by BJP state president Sukanta Majumder, Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari and some other leaders in the state.
During the two day visit to the state, Shah will participate in several events, including the foundation stone laying event of the Maitri Museum and Prahari Sammelan at BOP Haridaspur.
This is Shah’s first visit to the state since last year’s assembly polls held in 2021.
BJP had aimed to win over 200 seats but the table turned in favour of Mamata Banerjee as her party romped home with 213 seats, a record for the TMC in assembly polls since 2011. The BJP won 77 of Bengal’s 294 seats while the Trinamool Congress (TMC) bagged 213.
However, the BJP’s tally has actively come down to 70 after the party lost two assembly seats to the TMC in by-polls and five MLAs joined the TMC without resigning from the BJP.
Political observers said Amit Shah’s visit to this state happened when the saffron brigade looked to tone up its organisational machinery, which has been plagued by internal squabbles and defections since the 2021 assembly poll results.
On Friday, he will visit the India-Bangladesh border area of Teen Bigha, where he is scheduled to interact with BSF personnel.
The Union Minister, after attending a programme at Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata later on Friday, will hold a meeting with office-bearers at state BJP headquarters.
The state BJP unit has carefully crafted its political engagements, with multiple programmes slotted for North Bengal, where it made deep inroads both in the 2019 Lok Sabha and the 2021 assembly polls, party sources said.
