Shruti Suman
Union Minister and BJP leader Shantanu Thakur faced intense backlash shortly after asserting that the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) would occur within the next 7 days. In response to this development, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari strongly expressed that when a minister makes a statement, it is considered the Cabinet’s statement until refuted. He urged the BJP to refute Thakur’s claim, highlighting the limited time left before the parliamentary session begins.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur declared that the CAA would be enforced nationwide within a week. Addressing a public gathering in Kakdwip, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, he guaranteed, “Today I am giving a guarantee that CAA will be implemented in Bengal and other states of India in the next seven days.”
Thakur asserted that individuals who migrated to the country after 1971 have the right to vote, but he heard reports of such people being deprived of their voting rights. He questioned why, during passport inquiries, the police ask for proof of property from the 1970s even if individuals possess voter IDs.
Taking a swipe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Thakur questioned whether those denied voting rights belong to the Matua community or are BJP supporters. He emphasized the need to secure the future of citizens who arrived in the country post-1971 and justified the implementation of CAA to address such concerns.
Thakur insisted that the CAA is aimed at ensuring the future security of those who arrived after 1971 and stated, “No one has the capacity to stop us from implementing CAA.”
NI Bureau
