‘Mamata ji doesn’t understand the difference between illegal infiltrators and persecuted refugees’: HM Amit Shah on CAA fearmongering by Bengal CM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah questioned the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her strident opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, rules of which were promulgated on Monday.

Shah said that the Trinamool Congress Chief does not understand the difference between refugees and infiltrators.

In an interview with ANI’s Smita Prakash, Amit Shah said, “I want to appeal to Mamata Banerjee. There are several forums for politics. Please don’t oppose Bengali Hindus who came from Bangladesh. You yourself are a Bengali. I am giving her an open challenge and she must tell us which clause in this act is snatching away the citizenship of anyone. She is just creating fear and creating a division between Hindus and Muslims to consolidate the vote bank.”

“You are doing politics on an important issue of national security. People won’t stand with you. Mamata does not understand the difference between refugees and infiltrators,” he added.

The West Bengal Chief Minister had said that she will not allow the CAA, which she dubbed as a gimmick, to come into force in her state and asked people not to apply for citizenship saying that by doing so they would fall into the category of “illegal migrants” and will be stripped off their rights.

Speaking about illegal infiltrations, the HM said, “Assam’s BJP govt has completely stopped illegal infiltration. But this goes on unabated in Bengal and unless the state government cooperates, it is difficult for the center to gather data about the extent and quantity of illegal infiltration. There will be a BJP government in Bengal one day. If Mamata Banerjee continues her appeasement politics like this, it is inevitable that her government will fall.”

Speaking on the fearmongering about detention camps, HM Shah said, “Anyone who has read the CAA notification can clearly see that there is no provision of any detention camp. CAA is about religiously persecuted refugees who have already been living in India for years, before 2014. About illegals who have been living in India, there are separate laws and rules. We will see about that. Due to the blatant misinformation, there is a possibility that many refugees, who fall under the ambit of CAA will hesitate to file application, thinking they might be held. I want to assure them, you do not have anything to fear. We will grant you citizenship as per law.”

In the same interview, Amit Shah also stated that only the central government has the right to make laws regarding citizenship and implement them. CMs like Mamata Banerjee, Stalin, and Pinarayi Vijayan who have been making statements about refusing the law, cannot do it. He has also asserted that the CAA will never be repealed.

On March 11, the Union Home Ministry notified rules for the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule.

The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.