Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that the Citizenship Amendment Bill will be one of the main agendas for the party in West Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha election and assured Bengali Hindus of restoring their lost dignity.

Addressing a public meeting in Malda, Shah said, “The Modi government has pledged to help Hindu Bengali refugees who came from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Also, we are committed to stop illegal immigrants. Therefore, this Citizenship Amendment Bill is necessary as it is meant to restore the lost dignity of Bengali Hindus. This will be the main agenda in Bengal during the Lok Sabha polls. I would like to ask Mamata ji why is she creating hurdles and opposing the bill. Is she scared of losing her vote-bank. She needs to answer this?”

Regarding the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC), he urged Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs to not live in fear.

“This Lok Sabha election is more important for West Bengal than the rest of India. People are fed up with the Mamata government. People are saying the CPI(M) government was better than the Trinamool regime. Central funds are siphoned off by TMC-backed syndicates, while the rest consumed by infiltrators. Mamata is blocking 129 people’s welfare schemes for the poor people sanctioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shah said.

About the proposed grand alliance, he said, “Recently, Mamata ji brought a handful of leaders at the Brigade Ground. Of the 23, nine want to become Prime Ministers. All of them raised only one slogan ‘Modi, Modi, Modi’, instead of focusing on nation building or development. All the leaders who came to the rally have vested interests.”

He said the Bengal chief minister was trying to prevent him from canvassing in the state as she was scared of the BJP.

“Mamata ji can stop our yatra but, she cannot stop people’s love towards us. She (Mamata) is not allowing my helicopter to land here, she doesn’t allow me to travel here and she doesn’t allow me to address public meets here. Because she is scared of BJP. I would like to warn her, don’t repeat (hinting at violence and preventing people from casting their votes) what you did during the panchayat polls. This Lok Sabha election will be different. We will give a befitting reply. This election will be under the central forces and the Election Commission will monitor it. If you (Mamata) prevent my chopper from landing in West Bengal, then I will address the public meet from the helicopter. Mamata ji you cannot stop us. You made Bengal a kangal (beggar) state,” he said.

On January 23, Shah will hold his second rally at Jhargram and his third meeting will be at Suri in Birbhum district.

Reacting to Shah’s speech, TMC MP Derek O’Brien issued a statement, which read, “After listening to the BJP president's speech in Malda, it is obvious that they are very nervous. They know their days are numbered. They are politically scared. Their speeches are low on facts and poor in taste. They don’t understand the ethos of India. They don’t understand the ethos of Bengal. They are heading towards one big zero. Some are saying they are desperate. Some are saying they have gone mad. Or is it a combination of both?”

The saffron party is targeting 22 out of 42 parliamentary seats in Bengal. At present, the party has two Lok Sabha seats (Asansol and Darjeeling) in the state.