In a resolute declaration on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his administration's stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), asserting that it will stand firm for as long as he holds office. Amidst a charged atmosphere, PM Modi accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of orchestrating a transformation in West Bengal, alleging that Hindus have been relegated to the status of "second-class citizens" under their governance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP leaders at a rally in Barrackpore on Sunday. (Samir Jana/HT Photo)
PM Modi Lashes Out at TMC - Treating Hindus as Second-Class Citizens
PM Modi accused that the TMC was indulging in vote-bank politics, with the “goons of the ruling party” in West Bengal threatening the “tormented women” of Sandeshkhali where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have surfaced. Suggesting that the performance of the Congress in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls will drop to an all-time low, the Prime Minister said that the party will get fewer seats than the age of the “Shehzada”, a veiled attack at the 53-year-old Rahul Gandhi.
Modiji said that under the TMC regime, West Bengal has turned into a center of “corruption” and a “cottage industry of bomb-making”.
“While Modi talks about water in every household, TMC talks about bombs in every household,” he added. “TMC has surrendered to vote-bank politics in West Bengal, where you cannot even mention the name of Lord Shri Ram or celebrate Ram Navami. Hindus have become second-class citizens in West Bengal,” he alleged.
Opposing CAA
Criticising the TMC for opposing the CAA in West Bengal, PM Modi said, “CAA is a law to give citizenship to victims; it does not take away anyone’s citizenship. But parties like Congress and TMC have painted it with the colour of their lies.”
“As long as there is Modi, no one can repeal the CAA,” he said.
Recently, in response to the operationalization of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) following the issuance of rules by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made her stance clear: the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will staunchly oppose the CAA if it encroaches upon the rights of individuals in any capacity.
What is CAA?
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) alters the Citizenship Act of 1955 to offer a route to Indian citizenship for individuals belonging to specific religious minorities—Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis—who migrated from neighboring Muslim-majority nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. This provision applies to migrants who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. As per the 2019 amendment, migrants who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, and experienced "religious persecution or fear of religious persecution" in their country of origin are eligible for expedited citizenship. This provision aims to provide swift relief and protection to individuals facing persecution based on their religious beliefs, offering them an accelerated pathway to Indian citizenship.
Highlighted Horrors of Sandeshkhali
Prime Minister Narendra Modi intensified his criticism during his address, particularly referencing recent events unfolding in Sandeshkhali, situated in the North 24 Parganas district. The locality has become a focal point of political contention following accusations against local Trinamool figure Sheikh Shajahan. Shajahan stands accused of orchestrating an extensive extortion racket, purportedly involving acts of violence and even instances of sexual assault.
“The entire nation is watching what’s happening in Sandeshkhali. First the state police shielded the culprits. Now the TMC has started a new game. TMC’s goons are terrorising and threatening women in Sandeshkhali just because the culprit’s name is Shahjahan Sheikh. Guns and explosive are being recovered from his house but in a bid to appease the vote bank, TMC is making efforts to give him a clean chit,” Modi said while addressing the first rally of the day at Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas.
The allegations surrounding Sandeshkhali have escalated into a battleground of competing narratives, marked by a flurry of sting operations and video releases. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) entered the fray by presenting what it claimed to be evidence implicating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in orchestrating the entire controversy. In response, the BJP countered these assertions, alleging coercion in the retraction of allegations.
The situation gained further traction when Sheikh Shajahan, a prominent local figure implicated in the scandal, was arrested on February 29 following orders from the Calcutta High Court. Subsequently, he was transferred into the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), underscoring the gravity of the accusations.
On May 4, the political skirmish took a new turn with the release of a purported sting video by the TMC. In this footage, Gangadhar Koyal, a local BJP leader from Sandeshkhali, purportedly denied the occurrence of rapes and suggested that women had been incentivized to fabricate claims of sexual assault.
PM Modi Continued Lashing out on TMC in other Rallies
Addressing his second rally of the day at Chinsurah in Hooghly, Modi said, “TMC is using every trick in Sandeshkhali, but none of the oppressors will be spared.”
PM Modi addressed four back-to-back rallies at Barrackpore, Chinsurah, Arambagh and Sankrail in the eastern state.
He also mounted an attack on the INDIA-partners saying that corruption is their common character alleging that TMC has taken up corruption as a full-time business which it runs openly.
“You would certainly make the BJP-NDA cross the 400-mark. But write it down that in this election the Congress will get fewer seats than the age of its shehzada (Prince),” Modi said.
Modi claimed Congress and TMC are competition for appeasement.
Speaking at another rally in Arambagh in Hooghly district, the PM said, “TMC thinks it has a monopoly over Bengali culture, but the truth is that this is the land of Maa Durga and Maa Kali.” He claimed that in West Bengal, it has become a crime to take the name of Ram Mandir.
“There is no freedom of expression under the TMC rule,” he alleged, adding that opposition and independent voices were being stifled.
Asserting that nobody can provide reservations based on religion, he guaranteed the people of West Bengal that “reservations for SC, ST, and OBC will not be touched. Nobody can stop you from celebrating Ram Navami. Nobody can stop the implementation of CAA.”.
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