“CAA to be Implemented Across India in 7 days”: Union Minister’s Big Claim in Bengal

Kolkata: Union Minister Shantanu Thakur on Monday claimed that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) is set to be implemented across the nation within the next seven days.

Speaking in Bengali at a public gathering in Kakdwip, South 24 Parganas, Thakur, who is also the BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Bengal’s Bangaon, echoed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s earlier statement on the CAA.

Amit Shah, in December last year, had declared the BJP-led central government’s commitment to implementing the CAA, emphasizing that no opposition could hinder its execution. These remarks were aimed at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a vocal critic of the CAA.

During a significant rally in Kolkata’s Esplanade, Shah criticized Mamata Banerjee on various fronts, including infiltration, corruption, political violence, and appeasement. He urged the people to replace her government in the 2026 Assembly elections with the BJP.

Shah clarified that the intended beneficiaries of the CAA have the same right to citizenship as anyone else. The CAA, passed in 2019, has faced widespread protests and opposition across the country.

According to PTI, the Centre has prepared the CAA rules, which will be notified well before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. An official revealed that the online portal for the CAA is ready, and the entire process will be digital. Applicants will only need to declare the year of entry into India without travel documents, with no additional documentation required.