Dissident BJP leader rakes up CAA issue to turn heat on Centre

Thakur brought the issue out of the freezer in a bid to force central leaders to engage in talks with the dissidents from Bengal now chorusing the demand for the act rollout

Narendra Modi.: File photo.

Subhasish Chaudhuri And Arkamoy Datta Majumdar   |   TT  |  Kalyani/Calcutta   |   25.01.22  : Shantanu Thakur, a junior Union minister and Bongaon MP, who has emerged as the leader of a group of dissidents within the state BJP, has suddenly decided to bring the contentious issue of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to the forefront and seek its speedy rollout by the Centre.

The urgency is seen by many as an attempt by the Matua leader to attract Delhi's attention to the state of affairs in the Bengal unit of the party.

Thakur's elder brother Subrata, the BJP's MLA from Gaighata, and another leader of the Matua Mahasangha, on Monday said they are writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah to request them to cite the reasons behind the inordinate delay in implementing the CAA.

The Mahasangha plans to send a delegation to Modi and Shah with an appeal to accelerate the framing of the rules and provisions of CAA for its implementation. The last extended deadline for this expired on January 9.

Over the last couple of weeks, dissent within the state BJP has grown over the composition of the new state committee, which excluded prominent faces such as Joy Prakash Majumdar and Ritesh Tiwari and Sayantan Basu.

Thakur joined ranks with the dissidents over the absence of a Matua face in the state committee.

“Despite their activities, like an open challenge to the state leadership, dissidents failed to evoke concern among leaders in Delhi who are busy with forthcoming Assembly polls (in five states including Uttar Pradesh),” said a source.

According to the source, Thakur brought the CAA issue out of the freezer in a bid to force central leaders to engage in talks with the dissidents from Bengal now chorusing the demand for CAA rollout besides seeking the removal of the state BJP general secretary (organisation) Amitava Chakraborty.  

 “The BJP-led government had taken the initiative for implementation of the CAA to solve the plight of the Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, who are mostly Matuas. But the progress is not satisfactory. So we would seek to know from them what is causing the delay,” Subrata said.

The Bengal BJP on Monday suspended dissident leaders Joy Prakash Majumdar and Ritesh Tiwari “temporarily”, said a notice by the party’s media cell. It will be in effect till disciplinary inquiry against them is over. Both had been showcaused on Sunday for making anti-party statements publicly.