MATUA COMMUNITY CITIZENSHIP
West Bengal elections 2026: Modi promises women’s quota, police reforms, UCC push
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised 33% reservation for women in government jobs and stronger safety measures in West Bengal. Home Minister Amit Shah stated a 'son of the soil' will be Chief Minister. Both leaders reiterated the BJP's commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code. The party also pledged to investigate alleged corruption and post-poll violence.
BJP govt in Bengal will speed up CAA implementation, infiltrators must leave: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Katwa, West Bengal. He assured Matua and Namasudra refugee families that citizenship under the CAA will be expedited once the BJP forms the government. Modi also stated that infiltrators must leave Bengal.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar acting under 'executive's thumb', says Opposition's notice seeking election chief's removal
Opposition MPs have submitted notices in Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Charges include acting under executive influence and causing mass disenfranchisement through the SIR exercise. The notices cite seven grounds of proved misbehaviour. Opposition leaders are awaiting government action on these notices.
West Bengal CM Mamata slams Centre, ECI over Matua name deletions ahead of SIR protest
During a recent press conference, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal leveled strong criticisms against both the Central government and the Election Commission of India. Her major concern revolves around the concerning possibility that names from the Matua community could be removed from the voter list, undermining their essence of citizenship.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accuses BJP of sidelining Matua voters through SIR
West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently voiced strong concerns regarding the central government's treatment of the Matua community. She accused the BJP of stirring uncertainty about citizenship, which questions the very identity of individuals unjustly. Banerjee vowed that her government would fiercely protect the rights of the Matua, reiterating her commitment during a tribute to the revered Binapani Devi.
Panic, anger ripple across Matua belt as SIR deletions reopen citizenship faultlines before WB polls
Voter list purges in West Bengal's Matua region are causing widespread fear and anger. Many Matua community members face disenfranchisement due to deletions from electoral rolls. This situation is creating political challenges for the BJP and opportunities for the TMC. The community's identity and documentation are central to the unfolding events.
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Post-SIR rolls redraw WB's poll map; border belts, Matua axis and minority districts see sharp churn
West Bengal's electoral rolls have seen a significant pruning of 63.66 lakh names, impacting voter profiles across districts ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. This demographic churn, particularly in border and minority-heavy regions, introduces uncertainty and could reshape constituency margins. The adjudication of over 60 lakh names adds another layer of electoral fluidity.
Caught between SIR and CAA, West Bengal’s Matua community becomes flashpoint in TMC-BJP battle
The Matuas, known to be a vote bank of the BJP, have been queuing in large numbers at the CAA camps across the state over the last few months, applying for citizenship and participating in hearings. The Matuas in Bengal are estimated at more than 2 crore in number and over a lakh among them have applied for citizenship.
About 2 lakh Matua cards issued for CAA facilitation
In West Bengal, the All India Matua Mahasangh has issued around two lakh 'religious cards' to Matua community members to support their applications for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). These cards, issued from Thakurnagar, serve as essential documents to prove Hindu identity.
In Bengal, Matuas line up in millions for citizenship under CAA
Amidst opposition protests, the Matua community in West Bengal is actively applying for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Organizations and the BJP are assisting Matuas and other refugees excluded from the 2002 voter list. Camps are being organized to raise awareness and help with applications. The CAA allows citizenship for religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
Matuas and Backward Hindu communities await citizenship under CAA in Bangaon Constituency
Sushoma Adhikari, a 90-year-old Matua woman, recalls her journey from Bangladesh to India during Partition, highlighting the struggles faced by refugees. In Bangaon, where the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is significant, people eagerly await citizenship, especially Matuas and other backward Hindu communities. BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur is favored by many for his support of CAA. Localities in Bangaon are named after places in Bangladesh, reflecting the migrants' origins. Some residents are unsure about CAA's benefits, while others are actively seeking citizenship. Despi
Matuas will get citizenship, Mamata can't stop CAA implementation: Amit Shah
"No power in the world can stop my refugee brothers from becoming citizens of India. This is the promise of Modi Ji. Mamata Banerjee must remember that citizenship falls under the exclusive authority of the central government, not the state governments," Amit Shah said.
CAA ensures Matuas' legal citizenship, protects against future NRC: Union Minister Shantanu Thakur
Union Minister Shantanu Thakur advocates for CAA to secure legal citizenship for Matua community, protecting them from potential NRC implications. Thakur emphasizes the necessity of CAA for safeguarding the community's future in India.
Apply for citizenship under CAA without fear: Union Minister Santanu Thakur exhorts Matuas
Union Minister Santanu Thakur, contesting re-election from the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal, urged members of the Matua community to apply for citizenship under the CAA, even if they possess voting rights. Speaking at a meeting in his constituency, which has a significant Matua population, Thakur emphasized the benefits of applying for fresh citizenship under the CAA, including permanent residency proof necessary for passports and visas.
If you apply for CAA, you will lose citizenship for 5 years: Mamata Banerjee to Matuas
The promise of implementing CAA was a major electoral plank for BJP in the last Lok Sabha and assembly polls in West Bengal. The community, with more than one crore voters in the state, is spread over Nadia, Cooch Behar, North and South 24 Parganas districts bordering Bangladesh. The Trinamool Supremo went on to say she always cared about the Matua community and when Boroma, the matriarch of the Matua community, was alive, she bore all the expenses of Boroma's treatment.
CAA a game changer in all Matua belts of Bengal in 2024 Lok Sabha polls
The implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) ahead of the Lok Sabha election is a game changer for the Matua communities in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Malda, and North Bengal. It fulfills their long-term demand for citizenship rights and has the potential to impact the upcoming polls
TMC will lead charge in Bengal, India Bloc nationally: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that the INDIA bloc will face the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, while the Trinamool Congress will fight independently in Bengal. Banerjee emphasized that there are unlikely to be any alliances or seat-sharing with Congress or the Left Front in the state.
CAA final draft likely to be ready by March 30, 2024: Union min Ajay Mishra
"The process to roll out CAA has gained momentum in the last couple of years... some issues are being sorted out. Nobody can snatch citizenship rights from the Matuas. By March next year, the final draft of the CAA is expected to be ready for coming into force," he said to a thundering applause. Local BJP MP and Union minister Santanu Thakur was by his side.
CAA will be implemented in West Bengal: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari
During a meeting in North 24 Parganas District's Thakurnagar, an area dominated by the Matuas whose roots are in Bangladesh, Adhikari said the CAA does not suggest that citizenship of anyone will be taken away if one is a bonafide resident with legal documents.
Matua community to receive citizenship rights through CAA: Arjun Ram Meghwal
“I have spoken to the Matua community across the country and your (Matuas) problems about citizenship will be resolved. The process has already started and it will be resolved. The central government has a clear vision. There may be some delay due to technical issues but it will be implemented,” Meghwal told the community while addressing Matuas at their holy place of Matua Mahasangh Thakurbari in Bongaon on Monday.
Matuas to stop trusting BJP if CAA not implemented soon: Community leaders
Days after the Centre decided to grant citizenship to a section of people who came from a neighbouring country and settled in Gujarat, Matua community members in Bengal said they would "stop trusting the BJP" if similar benefit was not provided to them.
CAA to be implemented in West Bengal soon, Matuas to Benefit: Suvendu Adhikari
The Trinamool leadership, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee, has been opposing the CAA. Trinamool Congress state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the Trinamool Congress in Bengal will never allow the CAA to come into force.
CAA to Bengal BJP like Ram Mandir to party: BJP Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar
BJP Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar told ET: "In West Bengal, religious minorities from Bangladesh -- Hindus, Buddhists and some Christians -- must be given citizenship and we will request the central government to give them citizenship rights. Citizenship rights for religious minorities are essential and cannot be compromised."
Matuas now await CAA implementation
Celebrations were seen in Thakurnagar in Bongaon, home to the Matua community, after the local MP Shantanu Thakur took charge as Union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways on Thursday.
Poll verdict in Matua bastions crucial for BJP before CAA implementation
Matuas, who make for a large chunk of the state's Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal since the 1950s, primarily due to religious persecution in erstwhile East Pakistan and then Bangladesh.
Matua votes in Nadia, North 24 Parganas crucial in next phase
The Matua population will have a major influence in the poll outcome in the Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts, where voting is scheduled for April 22.
West Bengal elections 2021: BJP shifting battle from class to caste
The party’s manifesto promised to grant OBC status to Mahishya and other Hindu communities if the BJP comes to power.
CAA, PM Narendra Modi's Orakandi Thakurbari temple visit to sway Matua voters
BJP has already tried to woo the community by promising to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act which guarantees citizenship to religious minority refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. CAA and Modi’s visit could influence the community’s vote in Bengal.
Mamata goes all out to Matuas, promises land rights, safety
At a time when the BJP is going all out to woo the Matua community, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reiterated her opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act that promises to benefit the community.
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