CAA, enacted by the BJP-led government in 2019, aims to grant Bangladesh, Pakistan & Afghanistan minorities Indian Citizenship through legal process!
Union Minister Shantanu Thakur, a BJP MP leader from Bongaon stated in an interview that CAA ( Citizenship Amendment Act ) within the first week of February! Shantanu Thakur, the lead Matua community in West Bengal North 24 Parganas large district, emphasizes rapid execution of this legislation which is way too controversial for other communities and will be guaranteeing its legal implementation within seven days as per reports.
Indian Citizenship To All:
BJP-led government CAA powers aim to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014, reported ANI
Aside from being the leader of the Matua Community in Bengal, Thakur is also a Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, reiterated his claim on a separate occasion, asserting that CAA would be implemented before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in 2024!
The Matuas make up a significant part of West Bengal’s Scheduled Caste population, migrated to the state in the 1950s due to religious persecution in East Pakistan, later becoming Bangladesh! In recent decades, political parties in West Bengal actively brought the support of the Matuas community, given their massive & substantially huge population & tendency to vote together for one party, considering them a valuable voting bloc similar to the other minorities.
CAA Announcement Before 2024 Elections:
Thakur’s insistence on CAA implementation comes amid reports suggesting the rules for the legislation would be notified well before the announcement of the Lok Sabha election.
The Matua community is expected to benefit the most from the implementation of the CAA, as they are among the persecuted minorities covered by the legislation
The current ruling party i.e Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, which strongly opposes CAA, reacted strongly to Thakur’s statements, labelling the legislation as “divisive & baseless” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed Thakur’s promises, accusing BJP leaders of political gimmickry & asserting Mamata Banerjee, CM of West Bengal, has made it clear that the CAA won’t be implemented in West Bengal without her permission & notice.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also reiterated the inevitability of implementing the CAA, describing it as the law of the land! During a BJP meeting in Kolkata, he allegedly accused Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public on the CAA issue for vote banks! The TMC has consistently opposed the CAA, with Banerjee alleging that the BJP is using the citizenship issue for political gain & 2024 Loksabha election polls.
In the past, the promise of implementing the controversial CAA played a crucial role in the BJP’s electoral campaigns in West Bengal! TMC accused that the CAA scam led by BJP leaders made them rise in votes in West Bengal!
Conclusion:
According to parliamentary procedures, the rules for any legislation should have been framed within six months of presidential assent or seek an extension from the committees on subordinate legislation in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. However, since 2020, the Home Ministry has been taking regular extensions from parliamentary committees to frame the rules.
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