Bengal BJP’s internal rift has come out in the open once again with party’s Bongaon MP Shantanu Thakur and Bongaon Uttar MLA Biswajit Das engaging in a verbal spat.

Das on Friday alleged that Thakur was misleading the Matuas over the CAA issue and accused BJP of blackmailing the community in the name of granting citizenship.

“It would take 10 years to complete the Covid-19 vaccination drive. The Matua community is asking questions now (on CAA implementation). Yesterday, BJP MP Shantanu Thakur could not give a clear answer when this new law will be implemented. He is indulging in anti-party activities and making anti-party statements. He is not working for the interest of the Matua community,” Das was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Thakur, the chief of All India Matua Mahasangh and descendant of Matua patriarch Harichand Thakur, said Das was misappropriating the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who said on Thursday that the CAA would be implemented once the COVID-19 vaccination drive ended.

Thakur said, “No one is blackmailing anyone. Das is trying to attack the Union home minister for his statement. He is trying to divide the community.”

Das is known to lead a different faction against Thakur and their relationship has gone further downhill ever since the former met TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

He was seen touching the West Bengal Chief Minister’s feet before a 20-minute private meeting with her on the last day of State Assembly. Another TMC-turned-BJP leader and Noapara MLA Sunil Singh was also present.

Rumours have been rife since that the defecting duo could be on their way back to their former party. However, both played down the speculations and said that it was a courtesy meet with the TMC supremo.

Following that, when BJP’s defacto second-in-command Shah on Thursday addressed the huge Matua crowd at Thakurnagar in Bongao, Das was reportedly not allowed to enter the location, even though he was invited.

According to Bengali daily Sangbad Pratidin, another TMC-turncoat Suvendu Adhikari had to intervene for Das to take part in Shah’s event.

Meanwhile, BJP had refused to entertain rumours that Das would rejoin TMC. Party’s Bengal president Dilip Ghosh said that both Das and Sunil Singh had informed the saffron camp before their meeting with Banerjee.