TMC Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur led the protests in Bengal. File photo.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A section of the Matua minority community in West Bengal started a hunger strike on Wednesday (November 5, 2025) against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter lists. The protests were started under the leadership of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur at Thakurnagar demanding unconditional citizenship for the minority community.
The members of the All India Matua Mahasangh are fasting until death at Thakurnagar in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. The protest is being held in front of the Thakurbari, the community’s spiritual headquarters. However, the TMC MP was not present in person at the protest site on Wednesday.
“Unconditional citizenship should be given to the uprooted refugees, including the Matuas, who are permanently residing in India until 2024, by enacting a new law,” Ms. Thakur wrote in a social media post on Wednesday morning. She also said that in the name of SIR votes of the uprooted and marginalised minorities should not be snatched.
“The SIR process should not remove our names from the voter list,” one of the protesting Matua community members who was participating in the indefinite hunger strike said.
However, BJP MP Shantanu Thakur who leads another faction of the Matua community accused that the ones fasting are all “Bangladeshi nationals” and doubtful voters.
“This is just a political move. Why did Mamata Bala Thakur not join the fast herself? This is all a drama,” Mr. Thakur accused.
On Tuesday (November 4, 2025), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest rally in Kolkata against the SIR process and accused that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) camps started by the BJP are monetising from the issue. “I will do whatever is needed for the community,” Ms. Banerjee said while assuring the Matua community members during her public address.
Meanwhile, at a counter pro-SIR rally held by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari asked all Hindu refugees to apply for citizenship through the CAA camps organised by them and assured that they will remain protected.
However, the TMC leadership has maintained their opposition to the CAA camps and have urged West Bengal residents to not apply to CAA.
Published – November 06, 2025 10:24 am IST
