New Delhi: The Home Ministry on Wednesday said Rohingya are illegal foreigners who will be deported, hours after Housing Minister Hardeep Puri said accommodation was being provided to them and lauded the government’s move.
On Wednesday morning, Puri, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, tweeted a news report which said around 1100 Rohingya refugees were being provided accommodation in Delhi.
Soon after, Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Central Working President Alok Kumar said in a statement that he was shocked to see the statement by the Union Minister.
“I would like to remind you of the statement of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah. He had announced in Parliament on December 10, 2020, that the Rohingya would never be accepted into India,” he said.
The Home Ministry later issued a clarification with respect to “news reports” regarding Rohingyas and clarified that the MHA has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to them at Bakkarwala in New Delhi.
“Government of Delhi proposed to shift the Rohingya to a new location. MHA has directed the Government of Delhi to ensure that the Rohingya illegal foreigners will continue at the present location at Kanchan Kunj, Madanpur Khadar as MHA has already taken up the matter of deportation of illegal foreigners with the concerned country through the Ministry of External Affairs,” the Home Ministry said.
“Illegal foreigners are to be kept in the Detention Centre till their deportation as per law. The Government of Delhi has not declared the present location as a Detention Centre. They have been directed to do the same immediately,” it added.
The Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, in a tweet on Wednesday said Rohingya refugees will be provided Economically Weaker Section category flats in Delhi’s Bakkarwala area.
“India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decision all Rohingya refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi,” Puri said.
“They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs & round-the-clock Delhi Police protection,” he said.
He also tagged the Prime Minister’s Office and Home Ministry among others in the tweet.
“Those who made a career out of spreading canards on India’s refugee policy deliberately linking it to CAA will be disappointed. India respects and follows UN Refugee Convention 1951 and provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed,” he added in another tweet.
