Matuas have no reason to fear, BJP will accommodate persecuted refugees: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

• Amit Shah assures Matua community of protection for persecuted refugees in India
• Shah launches BJP's 'Mission Bengal 2026', vows to revive Bengal's heritage
• Concerns rise as 58 lakh names excluded from West Bengal's electoral rolls

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday sought to reassure the Matua community, saying there was no reason for fear and that the BJP would ensure protection for all religiously persecuted refugees in India.

“It is our pledge that all religiously persecuted refugees will be accommodated in the country. Even Mamata Banerjee cannot cause harm to the Matuas,” Shah said while addressing the media in Kolkata.

The remarks come amid growing anxiety among the Matuas, a Dalit Hindu refugee community that migrated from Bangladesh over decades due to religious persecution. Concerns have intensified following West Bengal’s first statewide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls since 2002.

According to Election Commission data, 58,20,898 names have been excluded from the draft electoral rolls under the SIR exercise, reducing the state’s electorate from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore. The data also show that around 1.36 crore voter entries were flagged for logical discrepancies, while nearly 30 lakh voters were categorised as unmapped. This has taken the number of voters who may be summoned for hearings to nearly 1.66 crore.

Matua leaders across party lines have claimed that a significant portion of the affected voters belong to their community, fuelling fears over identity and citizenship.

Shah, who is on a three-day visit to West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, formally launched the BJP’s ‘Mission Bengal 2026’ and reiterated his party’s focus on infiltration and governance issues. He asserted that the BJP would form the government in the state with a clear majority.

“People of Bengal have given Congress, the Left and the TMC opportunities to govern. I appeal to the people to give the BJP a chance,” he said.

Stepping up his attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government, Shah accused it of ignoring infiltration issues for electoral gain. “Mamata Banerjee is abetting infiltration of Bangladeshis for electoral benefit,” he alleged.

He further claimed that corruption under the TMC government had stalled development in the state. “All welfare schemes started by Modi ji have fallen victim to the toll syndicate here. Fear and corruption have become West Bengal’s identity for the last 14 years,” Shah said.

Projecting a roadmap beyond the 2026 polls, the Home Minister added, “After April 15, 2026, when a BJP government is formed in West Bengal, we will begin the revival of Bengal’s heritage and culture. This Banga Bhoomi is very important for us because the BJP was founded by Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, a great leader from Bengal.”