India claims Rohingya Muslims have ‘terror’ ties

“The court has no business to interfere in such matters of what they call illegal immigrants or illegal migrants,” the government said in the affidavit.

Additional Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta told the court the government will provide evidence of Rohingya links with extremist groups and illegal transfers of money at the next hearing.

The lawyer representing the Rohingya denounced the move.

India court to hear petition challenging Rohingya refugees’ deportation

“This is clearly a case of religious discrimination and an attempt to arouse an anti-Muslim feeling,” Prashant Bhushan said.

The ministry said the influx of large numbers of Rohingya into India began four to five years ago, long before an exodus that saw more than 400 000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh since August 25 to escape a Myanmar military offensive that the United Nations has called “ethnic cleansing”.

The affidavit went on to say the government had reports from security agencies and other authentic sources “indicating linkages of some of the unauthorised Rohingya immigrants with Pakistanbased terror organisations and similar organisations operating in other countries”.

It also said there was information on Rohingya involvement in plots by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other “extremist groups” to ignite communal and sectarian violence in India.

Senior home ministry official Mukesh Mittal said the Indian government would privately show the court material gathered from “sensitive investigations” to substantiate the claims in its affidavit.

Bhushan will file a rejoinder to the government’s affidavit, his office told Reuters news agency. The court will next hear the matter on October 3. Meanwhile, police said yesterday they arrested a suspected member of al-Qaeda who they believed was trying to recruit Rohingya living in India to fight security forces in Myanmar.

Senior police officer Pramod Kushwaha said British national Shauman Haq, 27, was arrested near a bus stop in New Delhi on Sunday. He had come to India via Bangladesh.