Protest Over Shantanu’s ‘Sacrifice’ Comment on Roll Revision Triggers BJP-TMC Scuffle in Matua Bastion

PTI, KOLKATA, DEC 24, 2025: Tension prevailed at the headquarters of a Matua organisation on Wednesday, after Union Minister Shantanu Thakur’s ‘sacrifice’ remark on the deletion of members of the community triggered a scuffle between his supporters and followers of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mamata Bala Thakur.

Mamata Bala Thakur's supporters held protests at 'Matua Bari', the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Matua Mahasangha, located at Thakurnagar in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district near the Bangladesh border. Both Shantanu Thakur and Mamata Bala Thakur belong to the Matua community. Originally from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Matuas are a weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh.

The situation at ‘Matua Bari’ escalated when TMC workers marched to Shantanu Thakur's residence at 'Matua Bari' to stage a protest. Sukesh Chowdhury, general secretary of another organisation, the All India Matua Mahasangha, alleged that BJP workers, who are followers of Shantanu Thakur, attacked the "peaceful" demonstrators. Chowdhury claimed that the protest was triggered after Mamata Bala Thakur's followers went to meet the Union Minister to seek an explanation for his remark.

At a recent public meeting, the Union Minister had suggested that the Matua community should be prepared to accept the loss of voting rights for some members in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, if the exercise led to the removal of a large number of "infiltrators" from the country. Thakur had said that if the 50 lakh Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas are disenfranchised and, in the process, names of one lakh Matuas are removed from the voter list, it should be seen as a "necessary sacrifice".

Alleging that the protestors were attacked by BJP workers, Chowdhury alleged: "They punched me in the ear, dragged Nantu Gosai by the hair and beat him, and even put their hands on our mothers."

Following the backlash, Shantanu claimed his remarks were being misinterpreted, asserting that he only meant the community should remain steadfast if some adverse consequences arose while decisive action was being taken against Bangladeshi Muslims illegally living in India.

However, TMC MP Mamata Bala launched a sharp attack on the Union Minister, accusing him of deceiving the Matua community and exploiting them politically in the name of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "Shantanu Thakur made false promises on the CAA to collect money and strengthen his party," she alleged, claiming the Union Minister was now revealing his "true face" by having "no objection" to Matua voters being struck off the electoral rolls.

The MP said that if the BJP can do this while in power at the Centre, what would be the future of West Bengal if the party forms the government in the state?

Rejecting the allegations, the Union Minister termed the protesters "hooligans sent by Mamata Bala", claiming they arrived without prior intimation, used abusive language, and were armed. "This anti-social behaviour is in her blood. My people only reacted when they saw the house was being attacked," he claimed.

The controversy has unfolded amid anxiety among the Matua community members over the latest draft electoral rolls, which have identified 1.36 crore voters as "suspicious". BJP MLA Subrata Thakur had claimed that a large number of those voters are Matuas.

The community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party in more than 30 assembly seats in Nadia, and North and South 24 Parganas districts.