Trinamool leaders set to hold meet with Matua community in North 24-Parganas

Kolkata: Ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders will hold a meeting with the Matua community at Thakurnagar in North 24-Parganas on January 22.

Senior TMC leaders Jyotipriyo Mullick, Bratya Basu and Subrata Mukherjee will hold the meeting with the Matua leaders, try to ascertain their problems and list the necessary actions that need to be taken for the overall development of the community.

The Matuas contribute 20 per cent of West Bengal's population. They are spread over 5 districts, North 24-Parganas, Howrah, North and South Dinajpur and Nadia.

A senior TMC leader said: "We want to make the Matua community aware so that they should not get carried away by BJP's false promises. The Election Commission said citizens can vote and Matua's have voting rights. Why do they need CAA? In the name of CAA , BJP is trying to fuel communal tension."

Sources said as a section of the Matua leaders, under Matua Mahasangha, are disgruntled with Mamata Banerjee, the TMC leaders will speak to them.

According to TMC leaders, in the name of CAA, although BJP has garnered votes during Lok Sabha polls, and bagged 12 seats, majority of the Matua community is in support of Mamata Banerjee as they do not want that they should be treated as illegal immigrants.

Mamata Bala Thakur, TMC leader, said: "Matuas are with Didi. A section of BJP leaders are giving false promises and trying to create communal tension. We are trying to raise awareness among the Matua communities that we are against CAA and NRC as they are the citizens of India."

Senior Matua leaders, however, are of the opinion that though they have voting rights, they do not have any citizenship rights. In times of buying or selling their lands, it becomes a great difficulty as they do not possess citizenship rights and

this time they will fight tooth and nail to receive their citizenship rights.