The TMC accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring Matua community fears over voter roll revisions while criticising the Bengal government’s governance. (PTI Photo)
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government over “non-development” and “jungle raj”, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) hit back at his alleged lack of concern for the Matua community.
Addressing a press conference, Education Minister Bratya Basu said, “The Matuas in Nadia and North 24 Parganas were eagerly waiting to hear words of assurance from the Prime Minister about whether the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll would force them back to Bangladesh. He could have gone to Krishnanagar and addressed their concerns, but he did not because he knew he had no reassurance to offer.”
After the first phase of SIR drive, 58,20,898 names have been excluded statewide. The Matuas, a Dalit Hindu refugee community, had migrated from Bangladesh over decades due to religious persecution and have been uncertain about their citizenship amid the voter roll exercise.
“He (PM) spoke about ‘Jungle Raj’ in relation to Bihar and contrasted it with good governance. But here, Mamata Banerjee’s governance is so strong that comparisons with Bihar don’t stand. It is the BJP that wants to bring ‘Jungle Raj’ here. We know the condition of law and order in the states where they are in power. We also know about the condition of Dalits and journalists in those states. In Uttar Pradesh alone, several journalists have been killed and their bodies dumped, or they have been called to police stations and subjected to physical torture. These are the real examples of ‘Jungle Raj’,” Basu said.
Taking potshots at PM Modi after the death of BJP supporters earlier in the day, Basu said, “Three BJP supporters died. The least he could have done was to express some grief. Why this indifference? Is it because they were Bengali? Had this happened in Gujarat, would the response have been the same?”
TMC MP Mamata Bala Thakur slammed BJP MPs Sukanta Majumdar and Shantanu Thakur for misleading the Matuas and said, “Sukanta Majumdar, Shantanu Thakur, and Subrata Thakur have repeatedly misled people, saying that through SIR and by filling CAA forms, citizenship would be given. They repeatedly claimed that 1.5 crore Rohingyas and Muslims would be removed. But you can see that voter deletions have happened more in constituencies where the Matua community lives, not in Muslim-populated areas.”
“The BJP says Mamata Banerjee stands with infiltrators. Yes, CM Mamata Banerjee stands with those followers of Harichand Guruchand who crossed from the other side of Bengal in the hope of living here. In 2019, PM Modi came to “Boro Ma” only for votes. In 2021, he even went to Bangladesh, where Harichand Thakur worked and where Guruchand Thakur was born, again only for votes. But we have still received no help from him.”
TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya questioned the prime minister’s decision to deliver a speech and address a public gathering from the airport.
“The airport comes under the Civil Aviation Ministry. Can any political address be made while sitting there? Shouldn’t he rather resign now,” she said.
Demanding proof that the Bengal government is hindering the development work of the state, Bhattacharya said, “This is absolutely meaningless. You can oppose Bengal, but you cannot ignore or deny the developmental work her. We need proof of where Bengal governance has faltered.”