KOLKATA: Kicking off what by all accounts is BJP’s election campaign in north Bengal, party chief J P Nadda on Monday told workers that rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would be framed soon.
Passed by the Parliament in December last year, the rules for the amended citizenship law is yet to be formulated even though the Manual on Parliamentary Work stipulates that rules for legislation should be framed within six months of the date of the assent given by the President to the Bill.
Nadda today claimed that formulation of rule for CAA got delayed owing to the pandemic hitting the country. “With the gradual easing of the Covid situation in the country, the work of framing rules for CAA has been picking up momentum and very soon you will be able to get the benefits of CAA,” Nadda said.
The BJP chief’s words would sound as music to the ears of refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan (which later became Bangladesh) who have been living in the area for long.
It has also become crystal clear that North Bengal, which spans across eight districts and accounts for 54 of the state’s total 294 assembly seats, is being eyed by the BJP for use as launching pad to secure majority when assembly polls takes place in the state next year. BJP did well in the region in last year’s Lok Sabha general elections.
Tribute paid by Nadda today to social reformer Panchanan Barma is also said to be aimed at making an impression on the Rajbangshis who form a substantial chunk of the voters in the area.
Nadda said the BJP was grateful to the Gorkhas for the support consistently being extended to BJP candidates by the voters of the community. The party was committed to fulfil its election promise of finding a “permanent political solution” of their problems and also to give recognition to 11 tribes living in the Darjeeling Hills, he said.
Nadda visited Siliguri after union home minister and former party president Amit Shah cancelled his proposed trip to the city owing to health reasons.
Nadda said he had spoken to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal this morning about certain demands of the people of north Bengal regarding railway connectivity. Goyal, who is now convalescing after a surgery, would meet a delegation of BJP leaders of north Bengal and take the necessary steps as soon as he resumes normal work, Nadda said.