Centre cracks whip, tells states to deport Rohingyas
The Centre on Tuesday reiterated that Rohingyas were illegal immigrants and said it has instructed state governments to start the process of their deportation.
“According to law, they stand to be deported because they are illegal immigrants. We are a nation with great democratic tradition,” minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said on the sidelines of a conference of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) here.
“India has absorbed maximum number of refugees in the world so nobody should give India any lessons on how to deal with refugees,” he added.
Rijiju’s remarks came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Myanmar’s capital on his first bilateral visit.
Earlier, BJP chief Amit Shah addressed chief ministers of five northeastern states and head of eight political parties who are part of the NEDA, a forum for party’s outreach on northeast.
“I am confident that in the coming days, the alliance will be in power in all the eight states in the north-eastern region,” he said at the inaugural session of the NEDA conclave here. Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram go to polls next year and the BJP is striving hard to expand its footprint in these states.
Shah said the region was top priority for Prime Minister Modi. Development in the eight states was essential for the overall growth of the country, he added.
“The development work done by the Modi government in the past three years for the long-neglected north-eastern region is several times more than the work done by Congress-led governments,” Shah said.
He pointed out that Modi government has sanctioned 258% more funds to northeastern states under the 14th finance commission, as compared to the UPA government. Shah said it was NDA government’s commitment to promote a sense of brotherhood among the northeastern states while respecting the cultural diversity of the region.