BJP leader and leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday advised Matuas to pray for “divine intervention” for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, to be rolled out in the new year.

Addressing the Matuas in Nadia’s Dhantala, Adhikari asked them to celebrate Kalpataru Utsav on New Year’s Day and pray before Sri Ramkrishna and other Hindu saints for the implementation of the citizenship matrix.

The advice came on a day when the seventh extension granted by the parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation for framing legal provisions of CAA came to an end.

Speaking at a religious congregation of Matuas, Adhikari said: “Today is the last day of the English calendar year. Tomorrow is Kalpataru Utsav. On Kalpataru Utsav Sri Ramkrishna fulfilled whatever one wished from him. So on the last day of the year, we will all pray before Sri Harichand Thakur, Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Dev, Sri Ramkrishna, Loknath Brahmachari, Anukulchandra Thakur so that the citizenship act is implemented.”

Kalpataru Utsav is observed on January 1 as a special prayer day to fulfill “wishes”.

Suvendu advised the Matuas to observe the day with devotion and wish for CAA’s implementation and at the same time he assured them that their long wait for the act would be over in 2023.

Reacting to Adhikari, former Trinamul MP and anti-BJP Matua faction leader Mamatabala Thakur said: “Bengal BJP leaders have realised their bosses in Delhi have been lying.. they have no faith in Modi and Shah. So they have advised people to seek divine intervention.”