Needed, AssAm-style Nrc For delhi: tiwAri
The Delhi BJP chief alleged that a large number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were residing in many areas of the city.
In what is likely to swing the political mood of the national capital ahead of general elections next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pitched for implementing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Delhi. Alleging that a large population of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants was residing in areas like Okhla and his parliamentary constituency of North East Delhi, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said he has requested Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for concrete measures to deport every illegal Bangladeshi immigrant from the city.
Tiwari told The Sunday Guardian that he has demanded the NRC to start from the Okhla Assembly constituency which allegedly has the maximum population of illegal migrants. This, however, comes in wake of the faceoff between Tiwari and Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) MLA from Okhla, Amanatullah Khan, during the opening ceremony of the Signature Bridge. During the event, Khan had pushed Tiwari, triggering a scuffle at the scene.
“I have requested the Union Home Minister for NRC in Delhi. I will also be writing to him for the same. For safety and security of Delhiites, it is important to send every illegal Bangladeshi back from the city,” Tiwari said. He added that the Ministry of Home Affairs has also been apprised of the “illegal occupants” in areas like Okhla, Seelampur, Jaffrabad and Mustafabad where thousands of Bangladeshis have been residing.
It is noteworthy that the NRC or the list of Indian citizens is being updated in Assam, the worst affected state from illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Recently, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das had also sought implementing NRC in the state, citing a huge influx of Bangladeshis from neighbouring West Bengal.
The demand for NRC in Delhi assumes political significance.
The rise of AAP and its vote bank in Muslim dominated clusters of Delhi have upset the applecart of the BJP as well as Congress. In the ongoing sealing drive in the capital, Tiwari has also accused the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee of shielding illegal constructions in these areas.
Accusing the authorities of adopting a “pick and choose” method, the BJP MP has questioned as to why no action had been taken in areas like Okhla, Jamia, Shahin Bagh, Noor Nagar and Johari Farms having five to seven storeyed buildings and with most of them running commercial activities from residential colonies.
“I have demanded NRC to start from Okhla. The AAP MLA has been patronising all illegal occupants in the area and even authorities are afraid of taking any action. What is the reason that no property has been sealed in Okhla, while the remaining parts of Delhi have been hit hard by the sealing drive?” Tiwari said.
The Delhi BJP president also said he will be staging a protest at DND flyway against illegal constructions and encroachment in Okhla on government land and the Yamuna floodplain. “One can clearly see multistoreyed buildings along the Yamuna floodplain in Okhla while crossing the DND Flyway. It is appalling that no action has been taken in this area. If these properties are not sealed or demolished, the sealing drive will not be allowed in other parts of Delhi too,” Tiwari said.