In a clear case of lack of coordination, hours after Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced awarding refugee status to Rohingyas and allotted them 1,100 flats in Delhi, the Union Home Ministry said no such decision was taken, and termed Rohingyas as illegal foreigners, waiting to be deported.
“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.
“Those who made a career out of spreading canards on India’s refugee policy deliberately linking it to #CAA will be disappointed. India respects & follows UN Refugee Convention 1951 & provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed,” tweeted Puri at 7.30 am, endorsing the UN Refugee Convention, which India has not approved.
Soon, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and many right wing organisations started attacking Puri for his Wednesday morning tweet and asked the Centre to change the decision and deport Rohingyas.
With criticism coming out from all quarters, by 3 pm the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement and series of tweets rejecting Puri’s claims. Interestingly MHA put out blame on “news reports in certain sections of media” for the goof up created by Urban Development Minister Puri.
“With respect to news reports in certain sections of the media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that the MHA has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi. The Government of Delhi proposed to shift the Rohingyas to a new location. MHA has directed the Government of Delhi to ensure 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.”
“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,” said MHA in a tweet titled as “Rohingya illegal foreigners”.
Earlier in a scathing attack on Puri, VHP urged the Centre to reverse the decision and as early as possible deport Rohingyas back to Myanmar. “We are shocked to see a statement of Hardeep Puri, the Union Minister for Urban Development terming the Rohingyas as refugees and allotting them EWS flats in Delhi. WE might remind Puri of the statement by the Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on December 10, 2020 declaring that Rohingyas will never be accepted in India,” said VHP President Alok Kumar urging Centre to deport the Rohingyas immediately.
BJP’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the Modi Government has a clear policy that there will be no compromise on national security and the Rohingya infiltrators are a threat to the integrity of the country.
“The law of our country says that they will be deported and this jurisdiction lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs. Rohingya infiltrators are a threat to India’s security.
“But (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal is doing the politics of appeasement keeping the national security at bay. Not long ago, there were news reports in which the facts were meant to mislead the public. The Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified on that,” Bhatia said
However, Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia claimed that the decision to shift the Rohingya Muslims was taken by officers at the behest of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG).
He said after taking the decision, it was sent for the approval of the LG without showing it to the Delhi Chief Minister or the Delhi Home Minister.
“The Delhi Government will not allow this conspiracy to illegally settle Rohingyas in Delhi,” the Delhi Deputy CM said.
Sisodia said the Central Government was flaunting the settling of Rohingyas as an achievement in the morning, but after it was opposed by the Aam Aadmi Party, “it has now started putting the responsibility on the Delhi Government”.