The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has issued an order directing its departments and zonal heads to carry out a drive to identify and verify illegal Bangladeshi migrants in municipal schools and those registered for birth certificates. The MCD has also directed all MCD zones to remove encroachments by illegal Bangladeshi migrants. An action taken report has been sought by the MCD deputy commissioner by December 31.

The directive comes days after the Delhi L-G Secretariat ordered a crackdown on illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, with the issue becoming the latest flashpoint between the ruling  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Assembly elections in Delhi due in February.

The decision follows a meeting held on December 12 with Delhi government’s Principal Secretary (Home), where the MCD Commissioner was represented by the Additional Commissioner (HQ) and Deputy Commissioner (HQ). Zonal heads have been instructed to implement preventive measures to address the issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

“The education department will take appropriate preventive measures to identify illegal Bangladeshi migrants while giving admission in municipal schools. It is also requested that proper identification and verification drives may also be undertaken to identify the illegal Bangladeshi migrant children in schools,” the order by the deputy commissioner said.

The public health department was directed not to issue birth certificates to any illegal migrant from Bangladesh. The MCD told them to take preventive measures and they too were instructed to undertake a proper identification and verification drive. Moreover, zones were also told to remove encroachments made by such migrants.

The relations between India and Bangladesh are under severe strain after the interim government headed by Yunus came to power in August. Relations between India and Bangladesh deteriorated further in recent weeks over continued attacks on Hindus, especially after the recent arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of ISKCON

Bangladesh and now, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote organisation.

Last week, Bangladesh acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following Hasina’s ouster.