KOLKATA: The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday urged Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, particularly those from the Dalit Matua community, to promptly apply for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
CAA Applications Encouraged Before PM Modi’s Visit
The BJP is pushing for expedited citizenship applications from Hindu refugees in West Bengal ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled visit.
- BJP leaders are urging eligible Matua and Hindu refugee communities to submit CAA forms.
- The push comes before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Taherpur, Nadia district, on Saturday.
- Allegations have surfaced that many refugees were excluded from a recent electoral roll revision.
- The Trinamool Congress alleges the BJP is attempting “damage control” ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.
- The CAA aims to expedite citizenship for non-Muslims who entered India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.
“The CAA has fulfilled your long-standing demand for citizenship,” stated BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya at a press conference. “I urge all eligible members of the Matua and Hindu refugee communities to fill out the CAA forms as soon as possible. Don’t be misled by misinformation.” Bhattacharya affirmed that “Every Hindu and Matua community refugee will become citizens.”
The call to action precedes Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Taherpur in Nadia district, which borders Bangladesh. At the rally location, Ranaghat Lok Sabha MP Jagannath Sarkar expressed confidence that Modi would ensure citizenship for all Matuas, stating, “Modi hain toh mumkin hai (Anything is possible if Modi is there).” Sarkar, who won his seat in both 2019 and 2024, believes Matuas will soon receive their citizenship rights.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) countered the BJP’s efforts, claiming the Prime Minister’s visit is a move for “damage control.” TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar asserted that millions of Matuas and other Hindu refugees were not enrolled during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Matuas, a separate sect founded by social reformer Sri Harichand Thakur, are classified as a scheduled caste and largely migrated from Bangladesh during the 1947 and 1971 conflicts. They wield significant influence over election outcomes in approximately 74 of Bengal’s 294 assembly seats and represent the largest group potentially impacted by the CAA.
According to the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) order, 2025, issued by the Union home ministry on September 1, members of minority communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians – from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India before December 31, 2024, to escape religious persecution can remain in the country even without valid documentation or a passport.
The BJP initially presented the SIR as a means to identify and deport illegal Muslim infiltrators. However, the TMC has criticized the BJP, alleging that the SIR has also negatively impacted Hindu refugees.