PM Modi pays homage to Matua sect founder as polls near

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage to Harichand Thakur, the founder of the Matua sect, and lauded the community's rich culture and contributions.

"I bow to Shree Shree Harichand Thakur Ji on the special occasion of his Jayanti. I reiterate our government's commitment to keep working to fulfil his ideals. I also convey my best wishes for 'Matua Dharma Mahamela' 2024," Modi said in a post on X.

The Nama-Shudra Matua community members, who came to India from erstwhile East Pakistan and Bangladesh over decades and settled mostly West Bengal, are an influential vote bank and have the potential to shape the outcome of elections in at least 30 assembly constituencies in West Bengal.

It may be recalled that ahead of 2019 national elections in India, the Indian PM had visited the Matua sect headquarters in Thakurnagar and Orakandi in Bangladesh and he reminisced that visit in his X post today by sharing some of the pictures.

"Today, I am also sharing glimpses from my visits to Thakurnagar and Orakandi in Bangladesh. I will always cherish these visits," Modi wrote.

The Matuas, who are estimated to be three million in India, are expected to be the biggest beneficiary from the Modi government's implementation of rules for Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) earlier this year, a move which gives citizenship to "persecuted" religious minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists who came from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan till 2014.