BJP to roll out over 1,000 CAA camps in West Bengal, to focus on Bangladesh-bordering districts ahead of SIR and elections: Report

The BJP has intensified efforts to increase the number of such camps before the polls

As Diwali and Kali Puja comes to an end, the West Bengal BJP has turned its focus to organising over 1,000 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) camps statewide, ahead of the upcoming special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

According to senior party leaders cited by The Indian Express, the BJP has intensified efforts to increase the number of such camps before the polls, instructing cadres to reach out to persecuted Hindu refugees from Bangladesh in Bengal and guide them through the citizenship process under the CAA.

State BJP president and MP Samik Bhattacharya told The Indian Express: “This was an agenda for the BJP from day one. There was a slight delay in framing the rules due to the Covid pandemic, but we are ready.”

According to him, over 1,000 camps will be organised statewide, particularly in border regions “where the demography has already changed”. “We are seeing the demography in several districts changing, mainly in border areas; thus, there will be more camps there,” he said.

Party insiders cited in the report reveal that the key focus would be on Bangladesh-bordering districts – which includes North 24 Parganas and Nadia in South Bengal, and Cooch Behar and Uttar Dinajpur in North Bengal.

BJP’s CAA outreach will see participation from Hindu organisations and local clubs alongside party units. On Wednesday, the Bengal BJP held a workshop, led by general secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh, to train workers, leaders, and representatives of “apolitical” groups on CAA procedures.

Sources told The Indian Express that the trained members will head back to their regions to help eligible residents apply for citizenship certificates ahead of the SIR process.

“It is important to make the common man understand why CAA is needed. A lot of misinformation has been spread about it, which is why people are scared,” a senior BJP leader told the publication.

On Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) directed the chief electoral officers (CEOs) to finalise their preparations for the SIR of the voter lists in their respective states and union territories.