Amid reports that her minority vote bank might just be slipping away— in the wake of large-scale corruption charges leveled against Government — ahead of the upcoming rural polls and next year’s general elections, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again raised the NRC-CAA bogey blaming the BJP for misleading the people in the name of National Citizenship Register and Citizenship Amendment Act.
Addressing a gathering at Gajol block in minority-dominated Malda district the Chief Minister said, “in the name of NRC they (BJP Government) put others (opposition voters) in jail … in the name of CAA they are misleading the people.”
Referring particularly to the refugees of Matua (SC) community — which had migrated to India post Independence and 1971 war and settled
in the border districts, mostly in North 24 Parganas, Nadia and Malda — she said the BJP was giving them false hopes on CAA. “They are confusing the people on CAA telling they will grant citizenship to the Matuas … but if the Matuas are not citizens the how
they are taking part in elections … how they are voting … We have been taking care of the Matuas for a long time, but when polls approach, the BJP goes to them, feigning as their friends…shouting CAA, CAA,” Banerjee said.
While the CAA entails the grant of citizenship to migrant Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, NRC is about drawing out a list or register of illegal migrants to India. The Muslim population forming about 30 percent of voters, is particularly sensitive about NRC and the Matua community having sizeable impact in 25-30 Assembly seats is expectant about the implementation of CAA as promised by the BJP.
Apparently aware of the hard electoral arithmetic the Chief Minister said, “the BJP comes with baskets of false promises during the elections whereas throughout the year we take care of the Matuas.”
Attacking the Centre for not releasing the grants due to the State the Chief Minister said “they are holding back funds … affecting the construction of roads, toilets, and implementation of 100-days’ work
scheme — as if the money belongs to them … the fund that they are not releasing is rightfully ours… how will we construct houses or implement programmes if you do not release money … and then they will send central teams to inspect whether schemes have been implemented properly or not …” The Centre was not paying up more than Rs 1 lakh crore due to the State she alleged.
Of late at least three central teams have visited Bengal to inspect proper listing of Prime Minister Awaas Yojna and right implementation mid-day-meal scheme. In fact a central team was presently visiting the schools of Bengal to inspect mid-day meal schemes.