NEW DELHI: The Union Home Ministry has issued a statement denying any such move taken by the Centre to shift all Rohingya refugees to EWS flats in Delhi’s Bakkarwala. The statement came hours after Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri made such claim.
India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decision all #Rohingya #Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs & round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/E5ShkHOxqE
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 17, 2022
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday alleged that the BJP’s Central Government is pulling all strings to permanently settle thousands of Rohingyas in Delhi. The party has hence declared an open fight against BJP’s mission to destabilise India’s security, party Chief Spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said.
The allegation, however, rejected by the centre. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a statement has clarified that no such directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi were issued. “Government of Delhi proposed to shift the Rohingyas to a new location. MHA has directed the Government of Delhi to ensure that the Rohingya illegal foreigners will continue at the present location at Kanchan Kunj, Madanpur Khadar as MHA has already taken up the matter of deportation of illegal foreigners with the concerned country through the Ministry of External Affairs,” it said.
“Illegal foreigners are to be kept in the Detention Centre till their deportation as per law. The Government of Delhi has not declared the present location as a Detention Centre. They have been directed to do the same immediately,” it said.
Earlier, while addressing a press conference, Bhardwaj said, “Union Minister Hardeep Puri has announced that the Modi Government will settle Rohingyas by giving them EWS flats and will provide 24×7 police protection besides all facilities. This is a threat to the security of the whole country and Delhiites, we Delhiites will not allow them to settle here. PM Modi on one hand claims that there is no money for free education and healthcare for the people of the country, on the other hand he is ready to spend crores of rupees on Rohingyas.
“BJP’s Modi Government has no will to protect the people of its country, Kashmiri Pandits are being killed everyday in Centrally Administered Jammu and Kashmir. Congress governments made Bangladeshis their vote bank by settling them here over years, now the BJP government wants to use these Rohingyas for their own purpose. BJP supporters are very angry after Hardeep Puri’s announcement of settling Rohingyas in Delhi, they are saying that they did not know that BJP could hatch such a conspiracy,” he said.
“Home Minister Amit Shah earlier said that the PDP settled Rohingyas and later BJP came into government with PDP, even after that the Rohingyas were not expelled from there. According to BJP leaders, Rohingyas have increased from 40 thousand to 5 lakh in the last few years, it is clear that BJP has settled Rohingyas across the country. The Supreme Court had asked the government to deport Rohingyas, yet they have not deported them. The BJP is bringing Rohingyas to the country for its own benefit. Why should the Delhi government invest Delhi’s taxpayer’s money by making a detention center, the Central Government should deport them back. At the behest of the LG, the Chief Secretary of Delhi called a meeting, decided to settle Rohingyas in Delhi without CM or any Minister’s knowledge, bypassed the elected government & sent a note directly to the LG,” he added.
AAP Chief Spokesperson further said, “Today morning, PM Modi’s Minister Hardeep Puri tweeted taking credit for providing flats to Rohingya muslims. It is highly possible that this tweet might be deleted anytime. BJP which has conspired against the security and interest of the entire nation. The BJP and the Prime Minister have got exposed. They are settling the Rohingya muslims in NDMC flats which is in Delhi and is under direct control of the Central Government. Hardeep Puri’s ministry has jurisdiction over NDMC and they have allotted EWS to the Rohingyas in Bakkarwala area. The minister also tweeted that the Rohingyas will get all the facilities and round the clock police protection for their safety and security. This decision jeopardises the security of every countrymen and every Delhiite. We Indians and people of Delhi will not let the Rohingyas settle here. No matter how hard the Central Government tries, we will ensure that these flats are not allocated to the Rohingyas.”
He asserted, “On one hand the Prime Minister makes pessimistic statements that the country does not have funds to run welfare schemes for the poor. He is not able to arrange resources for free of cost quality education and healthcare to the countrymen. And on the other hand, his ministers are boasting that they are spending crores for the settlement of Rohingyas. This essentially means that they are acting just like the Congress government which allowed the influx of refugees from Bangladesh in millions, who settled in the country over the years, only to increase their vote banks. Now, the BJP wants to settle the Rohingyas to use them for their benefit during the time of elections. We are exposing this shrewd tactic of BJP. We are making it clear that we will not let the Rohingya get settled in Delhi. If the Prime Minister wants , he can settle them in any of the BJP-ruled states. They can allot them whatever they wish to, starting from EWS flats to mansions provided to the ministers.”
He continued, “It is also interesting to note that ever since I replied to Hardeep Puri’s tweet that we will not let Rohingya settle here and expose their plot against the security & interest of the country, even the BJP supporters are vehemently opposing this move through tweets. They were shocked and could not believe that BJP could do such a thing. They are calling the BJP a hypocrite party and are fuming with anger. I request all the BJP supporters to leave such a party immediately which is a backstabber and plots against the unity and integrity of the nation.”
Bhardwaj said, “They are unable to protect the citizens of the country. Everyday, Kashmiri Pandits are handpicked and killed cold-bloodedly. Yesterday, I read in the news that two Kashmiri Pandits were working in their garden along with three labourers. The murders asked the names of the labourers and separated them from Kashmiri Pandits. Then the Kashmiri Pandits were made to stand in a line and shot mercilessly. One person died on the spot and the other is in hospital battling for his life. Chances of his survival are very bleak. They are unable to protect the Kashmiri Pandits but they have announced to give round-the-clock protection to the Rohingyas.”
“Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti, the largest organization working for the interest of Kashmiri Pandits, has announced that the Kashmiri Pandits have only choice to save their lives and it is to leave Kashmir. There cannot be anything more disgraceful for the Central Government. Neither they can protect the Kashmiri Pandits nor they can provide basic services to the poor living in India free of cost. They called it Muft ki rewari but are on a flag distribution spree for the Rohingyas.,” he added.
He concluded, “The words and actions of BJP politicians do not match. There are videos of BJP politicians in which they have shown their objection to Rohingyas entering and living in our country illegally. They raised allegations against us while the reality is that it is them who are settling them in Delhi. In one of the videos, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah can be heard speaking against Rohingyas. He earlier abused the PDP for welcoming the Rohingyas and then they formed a government with PDP. When they were in power, they did not expatriate the Rohingyas and till today, they have been unable to do it from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. They have settled Rohingyas there and they have settled Rohingyas in Delhi as well. The BJP is responsible for Rohingyas settling all over the country. The Supreme Court has ordered the Central Government to deport them but no deportation has taken place till now.”
“The Central Government itself claimed 8 years ago that they would deport the Rohingyas but nothing has been done. In 2017, Karen Rijiju said that there are 40 thousand Rohingyas in the country and recently, Adesh Gupta said the number of Rohingyas in the country is 5 lakhs. There was such a huge rise and the Central Government only remained a mock spectator. Who else is responsible except the BJP? In between the period of Kiren Rijiju becoming a minister and Adesh Gupta becoming the State President, there was no other government at the centre except theirs. It clearly indicates that the BJP is allowing the influx of the Rohingyas in the country for its own benefit and now they are allocating them flat for electoral gains,” he further said.
“The Delhi Government will not spend the taxpayers’ money on building a detention centre. The Central Government should deport all the Rohingyas. The Chief Secretary of Delhi held a meeting on L-G’s wishes and took a decision with the officials of the Central Government. Instead of sending the files to the Chief Minister or any Minister, the files were asked to be sent to the L-G,” he added.