Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari sets December 31 deadline to grant CAA citizenship to 2.5 lakh Matua applicants

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has pledged to complete hearings and process citizenship applications of around 2.5 lakh Matua community members under the CAA by December 31, 2026.

NewsBharati    02-Nov-2026 18:27:00 PM
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West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has set December 31, 2026, as the deadline to complete hearings and grant citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, to around 2.5 lakh applicants, most of them belonging to the Matua Hindu community.
 
Suvendu Matua Hindu
 
Addressing the International Matua Gosai/Gosain Conference 2026 at Thakurbari in Thakurnagar, the spiritual headquarters and traditional stronghold of the Matua community, Adhikari said that only around 25,000 people in the state had received citizenship certificates under the CAA so far.
 
“We will expedite the hearing and provide citizenship to 2.5 lakh petitioners by December 31,” he said, describing the target as his personal responsibility.
 
 
The announcement marks one of the first major administrative commitments of the state's first BJP Chief Minister. Adhikari was sworn in on May 9, 2026, following the party's victory in the Assembly elections. During his first visit to Thakurnagar in his new role, he credited the Matua community's support for helping the BJP form the government and thanked its members.
 
June Malia highlights Chief Minister's commitment
 
NCPI MP June Malia, representing Medinipur/West Midnapore and a former Trinamool Congress leader who switched parties, also highlighted the Chief Minister's announcement.
 
Speaking in West Midnapore, she said: “Today, our honorable Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Thakurnagar to meet the Matuas. He promised that by December 31st, citizenship applications for 2.5 lakh Matua brothers and sisters who had applied for citizenship will be processed and accepted by the government…”
 
 
Why citizenship remains a key demand for Matuas
 
The Matua community primarily comprises Namasudra Hindus, a Scheduled Caste community whose members migrated from East Pakistan and Bangladesh over several decades, citing religious persecution.
 
The community is concentrated in districts such as North 24 Parganas and Nadia, as well as parts of North Bengal. Its members form a significant electoral bloc in several Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies.
 
The Citizenship Amendment Act provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for members of non-Muslim minority communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered India before the specified cut-off date and meet the law's eligibility conditions.
 
For many Matua families, citizenship has remained a long-pending demand and a central issue in their political engagement.
 
Adhikari targets TMC Government over CAA
 
During his address, Adhikari sharply criticised the previous Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee, accusing it of opposing the CAA, delaying its implementation in West Bengal and dividing the Matua community.
 
He claimed that had the TMC retained power, the state risked becoming a “Greater Bangladesh”. The Chief Minister also pointed out that other states had implemented the law while West Bengal, under the previous government, had not moved forward in the same manner.
 
 
Rs 50 crore for Matua development board
 
Apart from the citizenship commitment, Adhikari announced a Rs 50-crore allocation for the Matua Development Board, which is to be reconstituted.
 
He also announced that eligible Namasudra applicants receiving citizenship would be provided Scheduled Caste certificates. The government would facilitate the inclusion of new citizens in electoral rolls from January, according to the announcement.
The Chief Minister further said that the government would consider setting up a separate municipality for Thakurnagar in the next state Budget.
 
Other welfare measures mentioned during the programme included health insurance, old-age pensions and support for women through state government schemes.
 
District Collectors to handle pending CAA applications
 
The announcement comes after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs shifted the processing of pending CAA applications from Empowered Committees to District Collectors in several states, including West Bengal, earlier this year.
 
The move was aimed at speeding up the processing of applications and hearings at the district level.
 
Adhikari said that a workshop had already been organised at Nabanna, the state secretariat, to accelerate the hearing process and facilitate the completion of pending applications.
 
The involvement of District Collectors is expected to play an important role in implementing the state's year-end target.
 
December 31 deadline to test implementation
 
The Chief Minister's announcement has drawn attention from the Matua community, for whom citizenship remains a long-standing demand that has influenced voting patterns across several constituencies.
 
The pledge to process applications and grant citizenship to around 2.5 lakh people by December 31 now places a clear administrative deadline before the state government.