BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar Criticizes Mamata Banerjee’s Plan to Shelter Bangladeshi Refugees
New Delhi [India], July 22: Union Minister of State and BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar on Monday criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying West Bengal is not hers alone and she needs to talk with the Central Government regarding sheltering Bangladeshi refugees.
Majumdar’s remarks came in response to Banerjee’s offer to shelter Bangladeshi refugees. He stated, “First of all, I think that the state government should speak with the central government over this issue. The state is not hers alone. It is a federal structure.”
On Sunday, CM Banerjee said that her government would provide shelter to individuals from Bangladesh who seek refuge, amidst ongoing protests in the neighboring country. Addressing the TMC’s Martyrs Day rally in Kolkata, CM Banerjee said, “Don’t worry if any of your family members or relatives are in Bangladesh for work or study. We’re ready to help them in return back… I can’t comment on Bangladesh (issue), as it’s a separate country. Whatever needs to be said, the Indian government will say. These are matters that are handled by the Indian government. But if helpless individuals knock on Bengal’s door, we will shelter them because a United Nations resolution allows neighbouring regions to assist those in trouble.”
The protests in Bangladesh have erupted due to demands for reforming the quota system that reserves civil service jobs for specific groups, including descendants of 1971 war veterans. The unrest intensified after students opposed a new policy allocating government jobs to descendants of freedom fighters, leading to violence, including attacks on state television headquarters and police booths in Dhaka. The situation prompted a government curfew, school closures, and nationwide suspensions of mobile and internet services.
Following the protests that resulted in over 100 fatalities, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court intervened, slashing the quota reserved for relatives of war veterans from 30 per cent to 5 per cent while allowing 93 per cent to be allocated based on merit and the remaining 2 per cent will be earmarked for members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and the disabled.
Doubts Revealed
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the major political parties in India.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament. It is a person who has been elected to represent a constituency in the Parliament.
Sukanta Majumdar -: Sukanta Majumdar is a politician from the BJP and serves as a Member of Parliament.
Mamata Banerjee -: Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of West Bengal, a state in India. She is the leader of the Trinamool Congress party.
Bangladeshi refugees -: Bangladeshi refugees are people from Bangladesh who have left their country to seek safety or better living conditions in another country.
Union Minister of State -: A Union Minister of State is a junior minister in the Indian government who assists a senior minister in their duties.
West Bengal -: West Bengal is a state in eastern India. Its capital is Kolkata.
Central government -: The central government is the national government of India, which makes decisions for the entire country.
Civil service job quotas -: Civil service job quotas are reserved job positions in government services for certain groups of people, like war veterans or their descendants.
Curfew -: A curfew is a rule that requires people to stay indoors during certain hours, usually to maintain public order.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest judicial court in a country. In this context, it refers to the highest court in Bangladesh.
War veterans’ descendants -: War veterans’ descendants are the children or grandchildren of people who fought in a war.
Merit -: Merit means being good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward. In this context, it means getting a job based on one’s abilities and qualifications.
