Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made it a point throughout his campaign in the all-important state of West Bengal to remind the electorate of how incumbent chief minister Mamata Banerjee was dead opposed to the historic Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). As it turns out, Banerjee has made no secret of the fact that as long as she is sitting on the chair of the chief minister, CAA will not be implemented in the border state. However, the BJP has effectively turned this pro-infiltrator rhetoric of the TMC to its favour, the effects of which are going to be visible as the results are announced on May 2.
In a recent interview with The Hindu, Amit Shah reiterated his and the Modi government’s commitment to notify the CAA rules, which continue to be delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shah said the delay in framing rules was not due to the West Bengal Assembly resolution blocking the CAA “but the fact that it involves a large-scale exercise in all border States. Due to the pandemic, undertaking this CAA exercise would not be advisable. The fight against COVID-19 is a priority that is why the rules for the CAA are delayed”.
Earlier this week, speaking at a rally in Jalpaiguri, Amit Shah assured that when the BJP forms its government in the state after May 2, it will stop illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. Interestingly, however, the Home Minister also said that using CAA, the Matua community will be accorded Indian citizenship by the BJP. Amit Shah added that Mamata Banerjee never wants CAA to be implemented because she fears her vote bank will get angry.
“Matua community – Namsudhra community who are here, shouldn’t they be given citizenship? Didi says they shouldn’t be given citizenship. Why? Because she is scared of her vote bank. But how will you stop us Didi, your departure on May 2 is confirmed. After BJP forms its government, CAA will be implemented and people of these communities will be given citizenship,” Shah said.
Interestingly, the attack on Mamata Banerjee by Amit Shah came days before constituencies where the Matua community has a sway went to polls. On Saturday, the districts of Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and a segment of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman are voting in the phase 5 polls in Bengal. It is in these constituencies that the Matua community is a dominant factor.
The BJP has effectively conveyed a crucial message to the people of West Bengal – that of Mamata Banerjee trying to stall the implementation of CAA in the state due to the fear of infuriating her predominantly minority vote bank. The Matua community, a scheduled caste Vaishnavite Hindu community that lives in West Bengal as well as Bangladesh has a significant chunk of its people living on the Indian side devoid of citizenship, although they deserve it. Now, if we are to take Prashant Kishor’s assertions made during a Clubhouse interaction recently, the Matua community will predominantly vote for the saffron party, with no less than 75 per cent of their votes going in BJP’s favour.
Of course, the number will be much higher than what Kishor has put forth. Not only the Matua community, but all Hindus who have been left devoid of Indian citizenship for years on end will also be voting for the BJP en masse, which will exacerbate the rout which chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her TMC will face on May’s first Sunday. By attacking Banerjee for stalling CAA in the state, the BJP has also been able to convince the voters of Bengal that the TMC is absolutely fine with granting citizenship to Bangladeshi infiltrators as long as they are non-Hindu since they then become a fruitful investment for the Ma, Mati, Manush party. However, such investments are now about to go sour, as the BJP gets ready to sweep the state.