KOLKATA: The West Bengal BJP is facing rebellion within its ranks as leaders and elected representatives of Matuas, a Hindu religious sect comprising Scheduled Caste refugees from Bangladesh, are planning a movement across the state on the issue of implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) so that they get citizenship, a promise made by the saffron camp ahead of the Assembly election in the state.
The dissidents were joined by a section BJP’s former office bearers, including former vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar and former general secretary Sayantan Basu, who were axed from the hierarchy in the recent rejig.
On Sunday a meeting of Matua Mahasanga was convened where Union minister Shantanu Thakur and other functionaries of the refugees’ organisation were present and discussed the CAA issue with BJP MLAs Subrata Thakur, Ashok Kirtania and Mukutmani Adhikari.
"Matuas are scared as the promise has not been kept. Representatives of All India Matua Mahasangha will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah with a demand of implementing the CAA immediately," said Subrata.
The disgruntled elected representatives of Matuas, who are a deciding factor in at least 35 Assembly constituencies, had been holding meetings with other dissident BJP functionaries for past three days.