A grand-nephew of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, the BJP leader also stated that it’s impossible to prove persecution.

In a major embarrassment to the BJP, Chandra Kumar Bose, vice-president of the West Bengal unit of the BJP on Tuesday took to social media, saying Muslims should be included in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

“If #CAA2019 is not related to any religion why are we stating - Hindu,Sikh,Boudha ( Buddhist), Christians, Parsis & Jains only! Why not include #Muslims as well? Let's be transparent,” Mr. Bose, a grand nephew of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, said on social media.

In another tweet, he explained why there is no harm in including Muslims. “If Muslims are not being persecuted in their home country they would not come, so there's no harm in including them. However, this is not entirely true- what about Baluch who live in Pakistan & Afghanistan? What about Ahwadiyya (Ahmadiyya) in Pakistan?,” said Mr. Bose, who contested the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 from the Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Bose said he was from the Netaji family and "believes in the idea of inclusion of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and cannot blindly support the CAA”. “I support this Act but certain modifications are required . Muslims must be made a part of it…. As you see that there are adverse affect of it and we [the BJP] will start losing all Assembly polls,” he said. He would raise these issues when he meets Union Home Minister Amit Shah later this month.

Mr. Bose, who joined the BJP in January 2016, said that for him the party was a platform to provide alternative to the people of West Bengal. Prior to joining the BJP, Mr. Bose was associated with the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), a party set up by Netaji, for almost a decade.

Of late Mr. Bose has expressed his grievance with the State leadership of the BJP, saying he was not getting enough opportunity to work, “I have no political and economic power. Holding rallies is not going to work in Bengal,” he said. He also expressed a displeasure that he was made to contest from the Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat which, according to him, was a difficult seat and he lost. “From any other seat in north Bengal, I would have won with a majority of four lakh votes,” he observed. He added that he would not hesitate to give up party membership if the central leadership did not heed to his advice.

This is not the first time that Mr. Bose’s remarks had caused discomfort to the party. To his comment of not being given opportunity to work, State BJP president Dilip Ghosh has said that “nobody allots work to others in the party”.“People have to find their own work. In this party, people prove their worth through organisational work and elections,” Mr. Ghosh said a few days ago.