The All India Matua Mahasangha (ALMS) will once again pitch for their long-pending demand with the Central Government for implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
It is expected that other organisations (mainly working for the right of refugees) will also take part in this movement along with the ALMS.
The chairperson of the ALMS is BJP MP and Union Minister Shantanu Thakur who recently revolted against state BJP leaderships for not including “old and active party leaders” in the reshuffled state committee lists.
On January 15, a disgruntled Thakur demanded resignation of a “key leader” in-charge of party’s “organisation” for “excluding” 90 per cent of the leaders in the reshuffled committee lists who helped the BJP increase their vote percentage from 2% to 40% in recent years.
Speaking to News18.com, spokesperson of ALMS, Asim Sarkar, a folk singer and BJP MLA from Haringhata in Nadia district, said, “On November 18, 2021, I became the spokesperson of the ALMS. Recently, on January 14, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, I met Shantanu Thakur and discussed the issue of CAA. I told him that people who voted us are becoming impatient due to delay in the implementation of CAA. Being a Union Minister, it is easier for him to raise the CAA issue once again with Union Home Minister Amit Shah or Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
He said, “On February 10, representatives from Republican Party of India (Athawale) led by its president Mrityunjan Mallick will submit a memorandum to Thakur questioning the delay. Even Thakur agreed that the matter is pending for long and I suggested a movement only after discussing the matter with the central leaderships.”
“For me, fighting for the cause of refugee (not only Matuas) is a priority and nothing else is important…not even my post. I feel that we will lose our trust among those who voted us to power from various places in West Bengal. It is our duty to fight for their cause,” he added.
When contacted, Mallick said, “On February 10, we will be meeting Thakur and will discuss our further plans for CAA movement. We will question him about the delay in implementation. We will remind him about the BJP’s promise before the people during the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls.”
He said, “The Central government is intentionally delaying the process. On August 3, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai had said CAA will be implemented only after rules are notified. The CAA was notified on December 12, 2019 and came into force with effect from January 10, 2020. Then he told Parliament that the Committees on Subordinate Legislation, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been requested to grant further extension of time up to January 9, 2022 to frame the rules under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Today, it’s January 17, 2022 and nothing has been done in this regard. The BJP played with the emotions of the refugee to get votes.”
Meanwhile, a ‘picnic’ was organised by the disgruntled Matua leaders at Gopalnagar in Bongaon (North 24-Parganas) on Monday where Shantanu Thakur was also present. Sources said Shantanu had a meeting with the Matua leaders to chalk out strategies to take CAA movement forward and to save State BJP from a section of senior leaders who according to Shantanu is working ‘silently’ for the ruling TMC.
Speaking to the reporters, Thakur said, “People are supporting our stand…”
Before the Assembly polls in West Bengal, Thakur had asked the Centre to clarify their stand over the implementation of CAA in the state.
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