Centre’s order on Foreigners’ Act ‘farcical’, ‘election gimmick’: Mamata

Kolkata, Sep 4 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre over its recent order under the Foreigners Act, allowing members of minority communities from neighbouring countries to stay in India without valid documents, terming it a “farce” and an “election gimmick”.

Speaking in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly during a discussion on a government resolution condemning alleged atrocities on Bengali migrants, Banerjee claimed the Centre’s move was aimed at misleading the public ahead of the upcoming elections and accused the BJP of using such tactics to polarise voters.

“This is nothing but an election gimmick, but it will not work this time,” she said.

“There has been no discussion in Parliament on this new rule. How can the BJP decide such matters unilaterally? No discussion, debate or parliamentary committees to discuss or deliberate such an important issue?” the TMC supremo asked.

Referring to the implications of the Centre’s order, the chief minister questioned whether those allowed to stay without documents would also be granted voting rights.

“They (the government) are saying they will allow those who came without documents to stay. So will they be allowed to vote in elections? Will they get Aadhaar and ration cards?” she asked.

“Will you provide ration, citizenship, and constitutional rights to those who came till 2024? The BJP has to clarify this as the new order doesn't mention anything about these pertinent issues,” Banerjee said.

The BJP had made such "fake promises ahead of 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls", but in reality, how many citizenships were granted, she questioned.

The Centre’s order, issued under the recently implemented Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, allows members of minority communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, to stay in the country without valid travel documents, if they fled religious persecution.

According to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which came into effect last year, similar groups who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible for Indian citizenship.

Banerjee reiterated her strong opposition to what she described as the Centre’s arbitrary and unilateral decision-making on sensitive issues such as immigration and citizenship.

“We will not allow anyone to snatch away citizens' rights. We follow the ideals of Ramakrishna (Paramhansa), Netaji (Subhas Chandra Bose), and Rabindranath (Tagore). They have shown us the path, and we will not stray even a single step from that,” she said.

In a separate issue raised during her speech, Banerjee said the recent decision by the GST Council to slash tax rates on a wide range of commonly used items, including personal health and life insurance, hair oil, corn flakes, and televisions, among others, was a result of her "repeated protests" over the years.

“I had demanded that insurance be exempted from GST. They were forced to do it,” she said, highlighting her earlier demands made during GST Council meetings.

Her remarks came a day after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the all-powerful GST Council had approved a comprehensive overhaul of the goods and services tax regime. PTI PNT ACD NN