The West Bengal unit of the BJP has raised the demand for implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state and a delegation of the party leaders is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 3.
This is the first meeting of BJP’s Bengal MPs and leaders with Modi after the Bengal state assembly poll which witnessed large-scale violence including rape, murder, and torture of the BJP workers allegedly by the workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress. However, earlier Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in West Bengal had met Modi.
The delegation comprising West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar, party vice president Dilip Ghosh, BJP MP Saumitra Khan and others are also expected to raise many other issues related to Bengal. BJP MP Saumitra Khan said, “We will make the demand that CAA should be implemented soon. We will also apprise the Prime Minister about the issues of West Bengal.”
Informing about the issues the state unit is expected to raise before the Prime Minister, Ghosh said that they will demand implementation of the CAA in Bengal so that the bona fide citizen get citizenship. Saumitra Khan also said that they would request PM to implement CAA in Bengal.
Besides, the delegation will also draw the attention of the Prime Minister about the budget announced for the development of Bengal which is still pending. A sum of Rs 25,000 Crore was announced for the development of the North-South corridor in 2021-22 union. Dilip Ghosh said, “Today we are going to meet the Prime Minister. The budget that was announced for the development of West Bengal is still pending. Rs 25,000 crore was announced for the North-south corridor and the development of tea gardens. The budget should be implemented. We will raise this matter before the Prime Minister. We also want that the CAA to be implemented in West Bengal soon. Those who are our citizens should get citizenship.”
Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had proposed the upgradation of a 675 km long stretch of National Highway 34 that connects Kolkata and Siliguri. The Centre had also proposed Rs 1000 Crore for the development of tea garden and welfare of tea garden workers in Bengal and Assam.
The issue of political violence in Bengal is also set to be raised by MPs. The BJP has alleged that despite the CBI taking over the investigation of the poll-related violence, BJP workers are still facing prosecution.
Thus the delegation will broadly raise three issues during the meeting of PM namely implementation of CAA, poor law and order situation and prosecution of BJP workers and development of Bengal.