The CAA citizenship process in Bongaon is set to be made easier, with Suvendu Adhikari saying applicants will be able to obtain certificates directly from the District Magistrate’s office. He made the assurance while inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal in Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering at the Gandhipalli Vivekananda Sporting Club pandal, organised by Bongaon North MLA and state Food Minister Ashok Kirtania, Adhikari said there would no longer be complications over applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act. “I give you my word, no Matua will be left out. Everyone will be granted citizenship,” he said, according to The Indian Express.
The announcement concerns the Matua community, which has a significant presence in Bongaon and adjoining areas near the Bangladesh border. Members of the community have been seeking citizenship under the CAA for a long time, making access to documentation and the administrative process a central local issue.
Adhikari said arrangements would be made for applicants to receive CAA certificates directly from the District Magistrate’s office. The report did not specify when the new arrangement would begin, which offices would handle applications, what documents would be required or whether a formal government order had been issued.
Citizenship, border security and alleged infiltration have been prominent issues in the politics of Bongaon and the surrounding border belt. During the event, Adhikari also said that no “jihadi” would be allowed to enter West Bengal through the Bangladesh border and claimed that the police and administration were on alert.
He further said that people coming from Bangladesh and attempting to create “chaos” in India would not be tolerated. Those remarks were made alongside the assurance on citizenship applications, linking the proposed administrative easing with wider political concerns around border management and security.
Adhikari also inaugurated a Durga Puja pandal organised by the Ranaghat 4 Palli Durgotsav Committee. He arrived by helicopter at Chhatimtala ground in Habibpur and travelled by road to the Ranaghat venue. He said he would travel to Delhi for a dinner meeting hosted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and return the same night.
Asked about posters in Siliguri urging people to buy biryani and Puja items only from Hindu traders, Adhikari said people had the right to express their views under freedom of speech and expression. The posters had been attributed to the Hindu Jagran Manch, while Opposition leaders criticised them and said such messaging was inconsistent with a secular country.
The next step for the CAA citizenship process in Bongaon is the administrative arrangement promised at the District Magistrate’s office. The report did not provide a date for its implementation or details of the procedure applicants will follow.
