Unrest at Thakurbari, Mamata Bala loyalists assaulted

Tension flared at Thakurnagar’s Matua Bari today following controversial remarks by Union minister of state for shipping and BJP MP Shantanu Thakur, triggering protests by a section of the Matua community amid growing anxiety over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Thakurbari turned tense on Wednesday following a controversial remark by Union minister of state Shantanu Thakur and a protest march by supporters of Mamata Bala Thakur, leading to clashes between the two groups. The situation at Thakurbari escalated rapidly as supporters from both sides engaged in scuffles, creating an atmosphere of unrest in the Matua religious centre. The confrontation was triggered by Shantanu Thakur’s recent statement, which has sparked sharp divisions within the Matua community. Supporters of All India Matua Mahasangha (AIMM) president and Trinamul Congress MP Mamata Thakur called for a gathering at Matua Bari to protest what they described as “deeply offensive” comments made by Mr Thakur.

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Demonstrators assembled outside the Matua shrine, raising slogans against the Union minister, leading to brief scuffles and heightened tension in the area. Police were deployed in large numbers to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.

The protest was sparked by Shantanu Thakur’s statement in which he reportedly said that there would be “no problem” if one lakh members of the Matua community were temporarily excluded from voting, while removing the names of “50 lakh Rohingya, Bangladeshi and Pakistani Muslims” during the SIR exercise. The comment has come at a sensitive time, as many within the Matua community fear exclusion from the draft electoral rolls amid the ongoing revision process. Notably, Shantanu Thakur was not present at his residence during the protest. The remarks have drawn sharp criticism from the Trinamul Congress, which accused the BJP of attempting to create confusion among Matuas ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Mamata Thakur alleged that the BJP was deliberately misleading the community in the name of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) while simultaneously paving the way for disenfranchisement through the SIR process. “The BJP has already planned to divide Matua votes by creating fear. By invoking Rohingyas and Muslims, Shantanu Thakur is pushing Matuas towards uncertainty and detention camps,” she claimed. The BJP, which has consistently projected the CAA as a tool to grant citizenship rights to Matuas and other refugee communities, has organised multiple CAA awareness camps across the state. However, Shantanu Thakur’s comments have seemingly contradicted the party’s long-standing narrative, intensifying unease within the community.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reiterated his commitment to the Matua and Namasudra communities in a post on X, asserting that the CAA had ensured their dignified residence in India and promising further measures once a BJP government is formed in West Bengal. With the Assembly elections barely a year away, fears over voter eligibility and political representation are now weighing heavily on many Matua families, turning citizenship and electoral rights into a central concern ahead of the polls.