Krishnanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reached out to Matuas, Namasudras and other refugee communities, promising that their long-pending citizenship claims would be expedited under the CAA once the BJP formed the government in Bengal.

“I offer my sincere tributes to Harichand Thakur, Guru Chand Thakur and Baro Maa (Binapani Devi). I assure you that none of our Matua families, Namasudra families and refugee families need to be afraid of the Trinamool Congress. No one will dare to touch you. Modi and the BJP will stand firmly with you,” Modi told a public meeting at Krishnanagar in Nadia district, where Matuas and other marginalised Hindu communities constitute a significant electoral bloc.

The Prime Minister added: “Those who are refugees, or have faced religious persecution, or were compelled to enter India because of their faith, Modi will stand with them.”

He went on to reiterate the BJP’s central promise. “Once the BJP government is formed in Bengal, the issuance of citizenship certificates will be fast-tracked. You will receive every document and all the benefits that an Indian citizen is entitled to.”

The assurance comes at a politically sensitive moment, with large sections of these communities grappling with uncertainty following the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which led to the deletion of over 90.67 lakh names across Bengal.

In districts like Nadia and North 24-Parganas, where Matua populations are concentrated, reports suggest nearly 70 per cent of Matua families were affected, fuelling fears over disenfranchisement and loss of welfare benefits.

Modi’s intervention is widely seen as a damage-control exercise aimed at reassuring a community that has been central to the BJP’s electoral gains in Bengal. His remarks align with the BJP’s manifesto that promises citizenship to persecuted Hindu refugees.

BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said the Prime Minister’s remarks addressed a simmering concern within the community. “The SIR exercise created a dent in our support base among the Matuas, leading to anger and anxiety, which the Trinamool Congress tried to exploit by misleading them. Even though many understood that applying for citizenship through the CAA portal is the only solution to their identity crisis, fears of losing welfare benefits because of exclusion from the voters’ list created livelihood concerns. Modi’s statement today has cleared all doubts and reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment,” Sarkar said.

Underscoring the need for swift political communication, Mahitosh Baidya, former general secretary of the pro-BJP faction of the All India Matua Mahasangha, said: “The BJP leadership should now launch an intensive campaign around the Prime Minister’s statement so that doubts within the Matua community are cleared before the April 29 polls and they vote in favour of the BJP.”