Dhantala (Nadia), Dec. 31: The indefinite wait for implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 appeared to have made the Bengal BJP leadership a little demoralized as the party on Saturday advised the Matua to pray before God seeking a ‘divine intervention’ so the much-awaited act comes into effect in the new year fulfilling their wish.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is also the opposition leader in the state assembly told the Matuas in Nadia’s Dhantala to observe Kalpataru Utsav on Sunday – the new year’s day and pray before Sri Ramkrishna and other Hindu saints for implementation of the Citizenship act.
Significantly the advice comes on the very day on which the seventh extension granted by a parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation for framing the legal provisions of CAA ended.
Speaking at a religious congregation of the Matua community, Suvendu Adhikari said, “Today is the last day of the English calendar year. Tomorrow is the Kalpataru Utsav. Sri Ramkrishna on the Kalpataru Utsav had fulfilled whatever one had wished before him. So on this last day of the year, we would all pray before Sri Harichand Thakur, Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Dev, Sri Ramkrishna, Loknath Brahmachari, Anukulchandra Thakur so that the citizenship act is implemented”.
“Amra bolbo thakur 2023 saley amader CAA karjokor kore dao…amra jeno batasa looth diye danka bajiye bijoy samavesh kortey pari, Suvendu told an audience amid concerning silence.
Kalpataru Utsav, which is observed on January 1, is a holy day for the Hindus as it is observed as a special prayer day for the fulfillment of a “wish”. Devotees believe that on January 1 of 1886, Sri Ramkrishna revealed himself as an incarnation of God and blessed people with the fulfillment of their wishes. The most significant celebration of Kalpataru Utsav is held at Kashipur Garden House or Udyanbati on the English new year’s day.
Suvendu advised the Matuas to observe the day with devotion and to wish for CAA’s implementation, while at the same time he assured them that their long wait for the act would be over in 2023.
“Nischit thaku aar kono nirbachon perotey hobey na…CAA karjokor hobei ei bachor…”the Nandigram MLA reiterated.
But Adhikari’s advice for seeking divine intervention has revoked little response among the Matua members who attended the congregation. The delay in implementation has already created restlessness among the community members.
At the same time, it has caused embarrassment to the BJP leadership in the Matua belts of Nadia and North 24 Parganas as the citizenship carrot that the party dangled before the community to win 2 loke sabha seats in 2019 and about a dozen of assembly seats in the 2021 assembly poll seems to be no more effective to swing the poll results.
Trinamul Congress has been desperately trying to encash the situation launching a renewed campaign projecting the saffron party’s failure in the implementation of the legal provisions of the CAA.
On December 17 Trinamul’s general secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused BJP of ‘fooling’ the Matua community by lying about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
While speaking at a public meeting in Ranaghat’s Matua belt he stated that the saffron party has nothing to offer new for the Matuas since its government at the centre couldn’t frame the rule even after the act was passed three years ago.
In October this year, the parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation granted a fresh extension – the seventh time ending December 31, to the Union Home Ministry in Rajya Sabha and up to January 9, 2023, in the Lok Sabha.
Former Trunamul MP and anti-BJP Matua faction leader Mamatabala Thakur reacting to Suvendu Adhikari’s advice said, “This is quite expected…The Bengal BJP leaders have realized that their bosses in Delhi have been lying.. they have no more faith in Modiji and Amit Shah…So they have advised people to seek divine intervention”.
CPM’s state secretariat member and Nadia district secretary Sumit De said, “The Bengal BJP leaders have realized that their top leaders have been cheating with them and people with fake citizenship assurance…So they preferred to take shelter before God and advised people to seek Divine intervention”.