'They Are Indian Citizens...': TMC's Abhishek Banerjee Slams BJP For Calling Matuas 'Refugees'

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of insulting people belonging to the Matua community by labelling them with the 'refugee' tag.

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee was addressing an election meeting in Bagda under the Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency. ( Image Source :PTI )

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has said that Matuas are bona fide citizens of the country, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of insulting people belonging to the community by labelling them "refugee" and promising "fresh citizenship" to them. According to a PTI report, the TMC leader was addressing an election meeting in Bagda under the Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency in support of TMC candidate Biswajit Das. 

While speaking on the citizenship issue, he said, "BJP leader Amit Shah came here and called Matuas 'refugees'. But I want to make it clear. They are Indian citizens just like you and me who are entitled to avail of government facilities." He said the Matuas shouldn’t be "led by the BJP’s propaganda" about promises of “fresh citizenship” through CAA. "If it is so, why is Union minister of state and sitting MP from Bongaon, Shantanu Thakur, not applying for fresh citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act?" he asked.

Thakur is a prominent leader of the Matua community, which largely comprises Namasudra Hindus from Bangladesh.

He said that the BJP was insensitive towards the sentiments of the Matua community, which comprises a large chunk of voters in the constituency in North 24 Parganas district. "This was evident when TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur was not allowed by the Rajya Sabha chairman to take oath in the name of Matua patriarch Harichand Thakur during the swearing-in event," he said.  

Sandeshkhali Issue

Banerjee came down heavily on the BJP for allegedly "disgracing the dignity of women of Sandeshkhali" in neighbouring Basirhat constituency by "offering them money to level false rape charges against TMC leaders".

He reiterated that "BJP leaders, by offering Rs 2,000 to some women to level concocted charges, virtually sold their dignity to their Delhi bosses".  

"Women are now coming out and revealing the truth that no rape had taken place in Sandeshkhali and BJP leaders made them sign on blank papers to file fake rape cases. These anti-Bengal elements maligned the state in front of the entire nation," the TMC national general secretary alleged.

The riverine Sandeshkhali area is situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata

Since February, the area has witnessed protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against now-arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters.