MoS Home Ahir slams Varun Gandhi for comments on Rohingyas

Union minister Hansraj Ahir today criticised BJP MP Varun Gandhi for his views that Rohingya Muslims should be given asylum in India after security vetting, saying those who have national interest in mind should not make such statements.

"Jo desh ke hith mein sochenga woh is tarah ke bayan nahi dega (Anyone who have national interest in mind, won't make such statements)," Ahir told reporters here.

In an article written in a Hindi daily, Varun said India must give asylum to Rohingyas but before that analysis of genuine security concerns should be done.

After Ahir's comments, Varun said his recent piece focused primarily on defining India's asylum policy, with clear demarcations on how "we would accept refugees".

"As for the Rohingyas, I've called for empathy, leading potentially to asylum, while vetting each applicant for national security concerns (sic)," he tweeted.

The BJP, in its national executive yesterday, adopted a resolution supporting the government's stand on the Rohingya issue, saying it fulfilled its responsibilities by providing humanitarian relief to Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees while ensuring that internal security was not compromised for its 125 crore citizens.

Terming the Rohingya refugees as "illegal" immigrants, the government recently told the Supreme Court that some of them were part of a "sinister" design of Pakistan's ISI and terror groups such as the ISIS, whose presence in the country will pose a "serious" national security threat.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh last week had said Rohingyas were not refugees who have applied for asylum in India but illegal immigrants who "will be deported".