Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted that no Hindu refugee would lose citizenship, intensifying his attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the issue of infiltration. He claimed that had Banerjee not opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), all Hindu refugees from Bangladesh would have secured citizenship by now.
Shah launched the BJP’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in Mathurapur, located in South 24 Parganas district, ahead of the crucial Assembly elections. During his address, he made several promises, including implementing the Seventh Pay Commission for state government employees within 45 days of the BJP forming the government and filling all vacant government posts by December.
“If Mamata Banerjee had supported the CAA, every Hindu refugee from Bangladesh would have received citizenship by now. I want to assure them that they need not worry. The BJP stands with you, and not a single refugee will lose citizenship,” Shah said.
Stepping up his attack, Shah alleged that infiltrators would be identified and removed once the BJP comes to power in the state. He said that currently only names are being deleted from voter lists during the special intensive revision process, which, according to him, has made Banerjee “nervous.”
Targeting the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shah accused the state government of appeasing infiltrators from Bangladesh. Referring to the construction of a Babri Masjid-style mosque by suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir in Murshidabad, Shah alleged that Banerjee and Kabir were “two sides of the same coin.”
He further accused the TMC of promoting dynastic politics, claiming that Banerjee’s focus was solely on elevating her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, to the chief minister’s post.
Apart from political attacks, Shah announced several measures aimed at government employees and job aspirants. He said Bengal government employees are still under the Sixth Pay Commission, unlike other states that follow the Seventh Pay Commission. If voted to power, he promised its implementation within 45 days. He also pledged to fill all vacant posts within two months and grant a five-year age relaxation to candidates who had crossed the upper age limit while waiting for recruitment.
Several senior BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also addressed rallies as part of the Parivartan Yatra campaign.
Shah said that “Parivartan” does not merely mean changing the chief minister but eliminating corruption and infiltrators while ensuring better law and order and border security. He accused previous governments, including the Left Front, of weakening the state’s economic position and said it was time to build “Sonar Bangla” as envisioned by Rabindranath Tagore.
Reacting to Shah’s remarks, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh dismissed the BJP’s claims, stating that Banerjee would return to power and surpass the record of former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, who served for 23 years. Banerjee is currently completing her third consecutive term.
Political observers noted that the BJP is attempting to frame the Bengal election narrative around national security and identity issues rather than welfare and governance, particularly in border districts.
