Notification to grant citizenship in Gujarat sparks off CAA debate in WB

It was not related to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, still the BJP leaders lapped up the development

The decision of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to empower the collectors of two more districts in Gujarat — Mehsana and Anand — to grant citizenship certificates to the members of Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Christian, Buddhist and Jain communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, has sparked off a debate on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in West Bengal, with BJP leaders saying that the CAA would soon be implemented in the State.

This was not the first time district magistrates or collectors had been delegated such powers by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The notification was not related to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, that was yet to come into effect, still the BJP leaders lapped up the development.

Leader of the Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that the process of CAA implementation had started in the country and West Bengal would not be left out of it.

“The implementation of CAA has started. We have been waiting for it. This will benefit the Matuas and Namasudras of the State,” Mr. Adhikari said. Representatives of the Matua community had been demanding the implementation of CAA in West Bengal since 2019 and were even threatening that the BJP would face consequences if the Act was not implemented by 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Bongaon BJP MP and Union Minister of State for Shipping, Santanu Thakur said, “I can only say if the CAA is implemented, it will be of great help to members of backward castes including the Matua community.” The Union Minister is a prominent Matua leader in the State.

Meanwhile, Asim Sarkar, a representative of the Matua community and also a BJP MLA wondered if there was a need for CAA as religious minorities from neighbouring countries could be given citizenship with a notification using the Indian Citizenship Act of 1955.