Gurugram, Jul 26 (PTI) Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Saturday alleged that the recent detentions in Gurugram targeting alleged illegal immigrants were carried out arbitrarily and under a vague, undisclosed government order.
Bhattacharya, who led a delegation of civil society activists to the region, stated that eight Bangladeshi nationals were detained and later released as part of a Home Ministry-led drive. The delegation also visited Jai Hind Camp in South Delhi's Vasant Kunj, where residents—allegedly Bangladeshi immigrants—have been living without electricity for over two weeks following the crackdown.
According to Bhattacharya, the residents were rounded up by plainclothes individuals in unmarked vehicles who claimed to be law enforcement officials. The detainees were taken to holding centres where they were asked to present identification documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and ration cards to prove citizenship.
Some detainees were held in police stations for up to a week, and several alleged instances of police brutality and physical abuse during custody. Bhattacharya also noted that no “certificate of verification” was issued upon their release, leaving them open to future harassment.
The CPI-ML leader questioned the legality and transparency of the operation, noting that when the delegation approached the Deputy Commissioner of Police’s office, the MHA’s inspection order was neither provided nor made available in the public domain.
The party alleged that the verification process appeared to target Bengali-speaking individuals and those with Muslim names, raising concerns of communal profiling.
Bhattacharya demanded that the Ministry of Home Affairs immediately release the order and Standard Operating Procedures used for the identification process, and clarify the basis for detentions.