Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi comments on CAA is a hoax aimed at creating a communal narrative ahead of the Gujarat assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The party has reiterated that it will never allow the implementation of the Act in West Bengal.
Kunal Ghosh slams BJP
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "The BJP tries to come up with new tricks every time elections come up". Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said by giving citizenship in Gujarat to persecuted Sikh families from abroad it has been underlined that no matter where the Sikhs may be, India is their home.
As a tribute to the sacrifices made by the people of Punjab The Partition Horrors Remembrance Day has been started on August 14, he said.
"We have also tried to create a way to give citizenship to the Hindu and Sikh families affected by the Partition by bringing in the CAA," he said.
Ghosh said those who had come to India from Pakistan and erstwhile East Pakistan have already got their citizenship.
"This issue of CAA is a complete hoax aimed at befooling the people. Every time there is an election, BJP brings up this issue to create a communal narrative. This has become an old trick.
"As Gujarat election is now knocking at the door, BJP is again trying to flare up the issue. It should now stop using such lies to create narratives," Ghosh, who is also the TMC state general secretary, said.
The Centre recently decided to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who left Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and settled in two districts of Gujarat under the Citizenship Act, 1955. "What citizenship is BJP talking about? Those who have come to India post-partition, are they not citizens of the country? Will BJP now decide who is a citizen and who is not? The TMC will never allow implementation of CAA in West Bengal," Ghosh said.
Reacting to Ghosh's remark, state BJP general secretary Agnimitra Paul said the party is known to keep its promise and CAA won't be an exception.
"BJP always keeps its promise. The CAA too will be implemented in West Bengal," she said.
The promise of implementing the controversial CAA had been a major poll plank of the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. The saffron party's leaders consider it a plausible factor that led to the rise of the party in Bengal and had helped it to bag all five Matua-dominated Lok Sabha seats in 2019, besides at least 29 assembly seats in 2021.
Matuas, who make up for a large chunk of the state's Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from Bangladesh since the 1950s ostensibly due to religious persecution.
The Act came into being in 2019 but the rule is yet to be framed.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal's West Bengal visit
It may be noted that on Monday Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who visited West Bengal to attend a programme of the Matuas also claimed that the intention of the central government is clear on implementation of CAA and also that due to some ‘technical problems’ the implementation is being delayed.
“The intention of the central government is very clear and CAA will be implemented. The process has already started. Those who are having problems with their citizenship or documentation their issues will be resolved. People can talk to central minister Shantanu Thakur if they are having any problems,” said Meghwal.
(with inputs from PTI)
