Act (CAA) will be implemented in India within a week. Thakur, also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Bongaon in West Bengal, emphasized the rapid execution of the controversial legislation during his interaction with a news channel.
The CAA, enacted by the BJP-led government in 2019, aims to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014. Thakur, a leader of the Matua community, assured, "The CAA will be implemented very soon. It will be implemented within seven days. This is my guarantee."
Previously, Thakur had made a similar statement on Sunday, consistently claiming that the CAA would be enforced in the country before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The Matua community, a significant portion of West Bengal's Scheduled Caste population, has a historical migration background since the 1950s, driven by religious persecution in erstwhile East Pakistan.
Recognizing the political influence of the Matuas, various political parties in West Bengal have actively sought their support. The Matuas, known for voting together, form a crucial voting bloc in the state. Thakur's assertion on the swift implementation of the CAA comes amid reports suggesting that the rules for the legislation would be notified "much before" the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.
The remarks made by Thakur have triggered strong reactions from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, which has consistently opposed the CAA, labeling it as "divisive." The political landscape in the state is expected to witness increased debates and discussions as the implementation of the CAA becomes a focal point of contention between different political parties.