‘Such guests not welcome in Bengal’: State BJP rebukes central leader’s remarks on Matua voters

The Bengal BJP has found itself in the middle of an internal storm after controversial remarks by a central party leader on the Matua community and voter list exclusions. The issue comes at a sensitive time when Matuas are already angry over the removal of names from electoral rolls, triggering fears within the BJP of losing a crucial vote bank.

The controversy was sparked by Lal Singh Arya, the All India president of the BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha, who said that names of people who entered India illegally from Bangladesh should not be included in voter lists, insisting the matter had nothing to do with caste or religion. His comments, made during a visit to Kolkata, immediately unsettled the state unit.

Reacting sharply, Bengal BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya publicly distanced the party from Arya’s remarks, stating that the comments did not reflect the party’s official stand. He went a step further by saying that “such guests are not welcome in Bengal,” underscoring the seriousness of the disagreement within the party.

Following the backlash, the BJP removed the link to Arya’s speech from its official Facebook page. Arya had addressed a press conference at the party’s state office on Sunday, attended by state Scheduled Caste Morcha president Sudip Das and BJP MP Jayant Roy. However, his statements failed to reassure Matua voters, unlike earlier assurances from BJP leaders.

Senior BJP figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, have repeatedly said that Matua refugees have nothing to fear and that all eligible refugees are Indian citizens. With the internal rift now public, the Trinamool Congress is expected to aggressively target the BJP, reiterating its claim that the party is misleading the Matua community.