THAKURNAGAR/COOCH BEHAR: Reaching out to rural Bengal with a bounty of guaranteed or conditional sops, Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday promised citizenship to Hindu refugee communities once the Covid vaccination drive is over and Rs 18,000 each in farmers’ bank accounts if BJP takes over from Trinamool.
He also announced the Centre’s decision to raise a paramilitary “Narayani Battalion”, as demanded by the state’s Koch-Rajbanshi community. Addressing a gathering in Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas district, Shah touched on implementation of CAA as being just a matter of time. “I assure you we will give due respect and recognition to Matuas, namasudras and refugees who had been denied citizenship for the last 70 years. How can one stop that? It’s a central law now,” he said. “I told you earlier the implementation got delayed during the pandemic. We will do it after Covid vaccination (drive) is over.”