Kolkata: A day after the Supreme Court said that religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who fled persecution and fall under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would have to undergo enquiry before being granted voting rights, members of the All India Matua Mahasangha announced plans to organise protest rallies demanding that they be allowed to vote in Bengal.
Earlier, members of the Mahasangha staged a demonstration outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Kolkata, urging that their names not be excluded from the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
According to the organisation, the Supreme Court’s observation has angered the Matua community, prompting them to continue protests, particularly in Bongaon, until their concerns are addressed.
A spokesperson of the Mahasangha said: “We are not against SIR.
We also want unauthorised citizens who procured cards fraudulently to be detected and removed, irrespective of religion. But that is not happening in a real sense.”
He alleged that instead, members of the Matua community—who have voted in multiple past elections and have lived in the country for decades after obtaining all necessary documents—were being targeted in the name of SIR.
He added that Rajbangshi, tribal and indigenous communities were also facing similar threats, and accused the Election Commission and the BJP-led Central government of being unresponsive.
He said the Matua Mahasangha, an apolitical forum comprising members across political parties and ordinary citizens, has urged all parties to support their cause.
“We have only been seen as a vote bank by different political parties, both at the state and Centre. If our concerns are not addressed, we will intensify protests in the coming days,” the spokesperson said.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court held that conferring rights associated with Indian citizenship on people claiming to be persecuted religious minorities protected under the CAA would depend entirely on whether their claims were found to be true after enquiry.
The court noted that while the 2019 Act enabled such individuals to seek “enforceable rights”, each claim must be examined and determined by the authorities.