Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to expedite the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in West Bengal if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in the state.
Addressing rallies in Purba Bardhaman, Murshidabad and Dakshin Dinajpur districts, Modi reiterated the BJP's push for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state and targeted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government over women's safety, corruption and alleged infiltration.
Modi said that the BJP will grant citizenship to refugee families under CAA as soon as it forms the government in the state. The CAA proposes to fast-track the grant of Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
The Matua community, a quasi-religious sect comprising largely Dalit people who moved to India from erstwhile East Pakistan, is a key target of the BJP's promise. The community is included in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category and influences election results in approximately 74 of Bengal's 294 assembly seats.
Modi also accused the TMC government of failing to ensure women's safety in the state and promised that a BJP government will provide assurance for the safety of women. He also accused the TMC of spreading fear and misinformation as it sensed electoral defeat.
