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Bharatiya Janata Party's Krishnagar Lok Sabha candidate 'Rajmata' Amrita Roy dismissed her opponent, the formidable Trinamool Congress candidate Mahua Moitra, as a non-threat, asserting that the 'misrule and corruption' under the TMC government in Bengal has compelled her to enter politics.
In an interview with PTI, Roy praised the Union government for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, stating that it would benefit the refugee population, including the Matua community, who had fled neighbouring countries to escape religious persecution.
Roy, who hails from the royal family of Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy and holds the title of 'Rajmata of the Rajbari', said the people of Bengal are 'fed up' with the misrule and corruption charges against the state government.
"Joining politics was a conscious decision. I am an apolitical person, but I have joined the BJP on request as it is a good platform. All of us living in Bengal are fed up with the misrule of the TMC. People are not happy with the TMC," she said.
Roy claimed that wherever she had campaigned, she observed how people were deprived of their rights due to corruption and misrule.
"I want to work for the development of the people of the state. People had voted for the TMC with a lot of expectations, but they are disappointed now. You can say this disappointment has forced me into politics. As a woman and as a citizen, I thought I have a role to play given the situation of the state," she added.
A fashion designer by profession, Roy asserted that the overwhelming response she received during campaigning gave her confidence that she would win the seat by a significant margin, defeating TMC's Mahua Moitra.
"I don't consider my rival as a threat as the response and love that I have been getting speaks a lot about my acceptance among the people of Krishnanagar," said the Rajmata, whose family holds considerable respect in the Krishnanagar area.
Regarding the implementation of CAA and its impact in her constituency, which has a considerable Matua population, she said, "CAA will help the Hindus who had to flee neighbouring countries due to religious persecution."
According to the CAA, rules of which were notified on March 13, the government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants -- Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians -- from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
On the issue of Sandeshkhali, where a section of women accused TMC leaders of sexual abuse, Roy said such 'shameful incidents' reflect the ground situation in the state.
She emphasised that women's education and health would be her focus areas if she wins the election.
"There are no good hospitals in Krishnanagar. You have to go to Kolkata or Kalyani (in the same district) to get good treatment," she mentioned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called up Roy, who is married to Soumish Chandra Roy, the 39th descendant of Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy.
According to the details of the conversation shared by the party, she informed the prime minister that her family is being labelled traitors by the TMC and highlighted that Krishnachandra Roy worked for people and joined hands with other kings to save 'Sanatan Dharma'.
Commonly referred to as 'Rajmata' due to her royal lineage to the Krishnanagar Royal family, Amrita Roy maintained her stance that the 18th-century Bengal king Krishnachandra Roy sided with the British during the Battle of Plassey in 1757 because Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah was a tyrant and Santan Dharma was under threat during his rule.
The assertion of the first-time contestant has sparked controversy as the Trinamool Congress has been campaigning that the Maharaja had sided with Mir Jafar, a military general who helped the British defeat Siraj in the Battle of Plassey and later became the king. Roy suggested that the TMC should read the history before making baseless remarks.
"The allegation is Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy had sided with the British. The question is why did he do that? It's because of the tyranny of Siraj-ud-Daullah. If Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy had not done that, Hinduism and the Bengali language would not have survived in Bengal," Roy argued.
"The Santan dharma was under threat because of Siraj-ud-Daulah's tyranny. Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy saved Bengal and Hinduism," she concluded.
Maharaja Krishnachandra Roy, born in 1710 and reigning until 1783, was a key figure in Nadia's history, known for resisting Siraj-ud-Daulah and fostering public festivals like Durga Puja and Jagadhatri Puja.
His governance, spanning 55 years, also left an indelible mark on Bengal's administrative reforms.
Roy accused the TMC of misconstruing historical facts.
The Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat is scheduled for polls on May 13 in the fourth phase.