Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda said on Monday that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will be implemented and the process of framing rules is on.
“It is certain that you will get CAA. Because of coronavirus, the implementation of CAA got delayed. But as the situation is slowly improving, work has started and rules are now being framed,” Mr. Nadda said, while addressing party supporters at an event in Siliguri in the north Bengal.
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Reports in early August 2020 had said that the Union Home Ministry had sought a three-month extension to frame the rules related to the contentious legislation. The implementation of CAA has become a prominent political issue in the State with the ruling Trinamool Congress not only opposing it but hitting the streets in protest against the legislation.
The BJP president, who is visiting north Bengal, targeted the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, accusing it of indulging in a “divide and rule” policy. Mr. Nadda raised questions on non-implementation of two Central schemes — PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Ayushman Bharat.
“Didi [Mamata Banerjee] says that these schemes won’t be implemented. I want to assure you that in April these schemes will be implemented,” Mr. Nadda said, referring to the Assembly elections scheduled in West Bengal next year.
The BJP president said that 8.6 lakh farmers had benefited from the PM Kisan scheme in the country, but the benefit could not reach 76 lakh farmers in West Bengal.
Mr. Nadda touched on several issues related to north Bengal, including the demand of for a separate State of Gorkhaland by the people of the Darjeeling hills. He reiterated the commitment to a “permanent political solution” to the people of Darjeeling hills and said that the BJP party manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha polls also talks about it. He also assured Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to 11 hill communities.
On the issue of wages of tea garden workers in north Bengal, the BJP president said that workers of tea gardens will be brought under the ambit of minimum wages.
