Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Mar 2: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday assured that no Hindu refugee seeking shelter in West Bengal from religious persecution in a neighbouring country will be deported or denied Indian citizenship. Speaking at Raidighi in South 24 Parganas during the BJP’s ongoing “Parivartan Yatra,” Shah emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting Hindu refugees while pledging strict action against illegal infiltrators.

Shah’s remarks come amid concerns from the Matua community—a socially backward Hindu group originally from Bangladesh—over the potential deletion of their names from voter lists following judicial scrutiny of their documents. The Matua community, largely settled in North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, has been a significant voter base for the BJP since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Home Minister further outlined a range of initiatives should the BJP win the upcoming state Assembly elections. These include a special Rs 5,700 crore allocation for women’s empowerment programs aimed at improving the dignity, security, and economic status of mothers and sisters in West Bengal.

Addressing public sector grievances, Shah promised that state government employees would receive a new pay structure aligned with the 7th Pay Commission and that arrears, including dearness allowance discrepancies, would be resolved. He also pledged that the process of filling vacant state government positions would begin by the end of the year under a BJP administration.

Shah concluded by vowing to tackle corruption and criminal influence entrenched during the last 16 years of Trinamool Congress rule. “The influence of external mafias in Bengal will be eliminated, and law and order strengthened. Strict action will be taken against those enjoying political patronage. Individuals and families involved in serious crimes and corruption will be brought under the ambit of the law,” he stated.