Kolkata, August 2: In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy has reacted to recent statements made by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.
Regarding the distribution of citizenship certificates under the CAA, Roy stated, “They will not be able to achieve anything. The CAA was passed several years ago, but it has yet to be implemented. Therefore, such statements are meaningless.”
On Saturday, during a citizenship certificate distribution event in New Town, Adhikari announced that all pending applications for citizenship under the CAA would be resolved within the next six months. He emphasized that this law was created to grant citizenship, not to revoke it. At this event, nearly 300 members of the Matua community from North 24 Parganas district received their citizenship certificates. Adhikari accused the previous Trinamool Congress government of spreading confusion about the CAA for “political gain.”
Commenting on Adhikari’s remarks about Taslima Nasreen’s return to Kolkata, Roy said, “This is a good thing. Suvendu Adhikari has acknowledged that Taslima Nasreen is a talented poet and writer. She has not been in Bengal for a long time; if she returns and engages with the people, it will be a joyous occasion for everyone. It is the responsibility of the Chief Minister to ensure her safety. Providing security would be a positive step.”
It is noteworthy that Taslima Nasreen returned to Kolkata on Friday and spoke at an event organized by the Secular Mission, Human Rights Beyond Frontiers Foundation, and West Bengal at Rabindra Sadan. She stated that criticizing Islam or speaking the truth about it is not an attack on Muslims. It is essential to bring reform, development, and freedom to the Muslim community. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari was also present at this event.
During this time, Adhikari praised Nasreen and referred to her as an esteemed writer. He stated, “Nasreen can come to the city whenever she wants. The new government has ensured freedom of expression and restored constitutional and fundamental rights, allowing everyone full freedom to move in and out of the city and state.”
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