Deport Bangladeshis from city, demands BJP MLA Raj Purohit

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Raj Purohit demanded that Bangladeshis from Mumbai, especially those in his constituency -- Colaba -- be identified and deported to their own conutry.

Purohit, chief party whip, wrote to the district collector and suggested that the Centre should implement a National Register for Citizens (NRC) across the country, particularly in his constituency Colaba and Mumbai, where, he said, there were a large number of Bangladeshis.

“I have written to the district collector, additional chief secretary (Home), Mumbai Police Commissioner and State Election Commission to implement the NRC and identify the Bangladeshis in Colaba and Mumbai,” Purohit said.

Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had demanded a count of “illegal” Bangladeshis residing in the city, who “cause a stress on the resources of Mumbai”.

"It has now been proved that over 40 lakh people (in Assam) are illegal infiltrators. MNS chief Raj Thackeray has been talking about this issue for several years," according to a statement by party leader Bala Nandgaonkar.

“People from across the country settle down in Mumbai. It includes Bangladeshi infiltrators who come here illegally. These people not only cause a strain on the resources of the city, but also pose a grave danger to the law and order situation,” the former MLA said.

In May this year, the Pune rural police detained 36 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, who had been living in India for the past six months.