The BJP-led Karnataka government has told the Supreme Court there are 72 identified Rohingyas living in Bengaluru but there is no immediate plan to deport them.
"The Bengaluru city police have not housed Rohingyas in any camp or detention centers within its jurisdiction. However, 72 Rohingyas identified in Bengaluru city are working in various fields and Bengaluru city police have not taken any coercive action against them as of now and there is no immediate plan of deporting them," it said.
The government also furnished the names of Rohingya refugees who were staying in North East division of the city. All these Rohingyas, except those below 12 years of age, have been given individual numbers by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The written response of the state government was filed in a 2017 PIL filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay who sought the court's direction to deport illegal Rohingyas.
The government - which filed a statement of the objection through advocate V N Raghupathy - asked the court to dismiss the petition for being devoid of merit and not maintainable in law and facts.
In his plea, Upadhyay has asked the court to issue a direction to the central and state governments to identify, detain and deport all the illegal immigrants and infiltrators including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas within one year. He also sought direction to amend the respective laws to make illegal immigration and infiltration a cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable offence.
The petitioner also said making of forged or fabricated PAN and Aadhaar cards, passport, ration and Voter ID cards and other docments as a non-bailable, non-compoundable and cognisable offence.
Watch latest videos by DH here:
(Published 25 October 2021, 12:34 IST)
JOIN US