BJP deleted Matuas’ names instead of granting citizenship: Abhishek Banerjee ​

Kolkata, April 27 (IANS) On the last day of Assembly election campaigning in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee held public meetings at four places, including Ranaghat, Goghat, and Arambagh, since morning and targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party on one issue after another, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Special Intensive Revision exercise.​

Addressing an election rally in Nadia district's Ranaghat, Abhishek Banerjee asked the Matuas whether the Bharatiya Janata Party had delivered on its promise to grant citizenship to all Matuas if it came to power.​

Abhishek wanted to know whether there had been any development, despite the fact that Ranaghat's Member of the Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament are from the Bharatiya Janata Party. ​

He then said that the Trinamool Congress is the only one fighting for the citizenship of the Matuas. He called for Trinamool Congress candidates to win all the seats in Ranaghat in this election.​

He said that the Bharatiya Janata Party had assured in 2019 that the Central government would grant citizenship to the Matuas by December 31 of that year, but it has been many years, and they have not yet received citizenship. ​

He added that during the Special Intensive Revision exercise, far from granting citizenship, the names of legal voters were omitted. ​

He further alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Shantanu Thakur had said that even if some names are omitted, it will not matter, and criticised what he described as an act of audacity.​

Warning the voters, Abhishek further said that there is one more day left before the election and that during this time the Bharatiya Janata Party will spread money among voters. ​

He urged people not to fall prey to such tactics, adding that while the Bharatiya Janata Party promised citizenship, in reality, it deleted names from the voters’ list.​

Matuas belong to the Scheduled Caste Namasudra community that migrated to India in large numbers, first during the Partition and then after the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Obtaining citizenship has been a long-standing demand of this refugee community.​

Abhishek Banerjee further said that the Trinamool Congress is the only party that has worked for the Matuas and championed their development. He added that the Bharatiya Janata Party will do nothing for them and that it is Mamata Banerjee's government that will. ​

He said that if the Trinamool Congress candidate is elected, permanent homes will be built under the Bangla Awas Yojana so that everyone has a roof over their heads.​