Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal was welcoming infiltrators while opposing the CAA that would grant citizenship to members of religious minorities who had entered India following persecution in neighbouring countries.

“In Assam, infiltration was a major issue. But ever since the state's people have voted the BJP to power, the infiltration has stopped. However, in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and her party offer a red-carpet welcome to infiltrators and Rohingyas. On the other hand, she is vehemently opposing the CAA. I want to ask her, why are you opposing the act that will give citizenship to Hindus and other religious minorities who have come to our country,” said Shah.

He was addressing a rally in support of Balurghat BJP candidate Sukanta Majumdar.

The Bengal chief minister often said the CAA was a precursor to the NRC. "…. once you apply for the CAA, you will be treated as an infiltrator and all benefits which you get from the government will be stopped. You might even be sent to a detention camp like it had happened in Assam,” Mamata had said at one of her public meetings.

On Wednesday, Shah said: “Mamata Banerjee is spreading misconceptions about the CAA. We want people to apply for citizenship and let me assure (you) that no case will be registered against them. I want to make it clear that she can put all her efforts to stop the CAA but we will implement it at any cost.”

With just eight days left for the first phase of the general election, Shah also set a target of 30 (of 42) Lok Sabha seats in Bengal for BJP leaders and workers.

“Once we get 30 seats, Trinamul will be vanquished in Bengal. The party is not interested in stopping infiltration as infiltrators are their vote bank. Only the BJP can stop it,” he said.

Shah alleged that for around 70 years (after Independence), the Congress, the communists and even Trinamul obstructed the construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya.

“On April 17 (during Ram Navami celebrations), the birthday of Ram Lala would be celebrated at the temple itself,” he said.

In the course of his speech, Shah referred to Majumdar's constituency as “Belurghat”, instead of “Balurghat”.

This has made Trinamul’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee take a dig at him and the state BJP leadership.

“Not once, but several times, Amit Shah pronounced 'Belurghat'. We understand that he doesn’t read or write Bengali and doesn’t know anything about the state. But Sukanta Majumdar and other leaders were on the dais. None of them dared to correct the Union home minister,” said Abhishek.

“These state leaders are living at the mercy of Delhi. Even when a central leader was insulting the people of a place by making an incorrect pronouncement, the state leaders kept mum to save their chairs in the party,” Abhishek added.