New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday made it clear that it has not given any direction to provide EWS flats to Rohingya Muslims in Delhi and asked the Arvind Kejriwal government to ensure the illegal foreigners remain at their present location.
The MHA also said the Rohingya illegal foreigners are to be kept in detention centres until their deportation as per the law and the Delhi government has been directed to declare the current site of their stay as a detention centre.
"With respect to news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that the MHA has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi," an MHA spokesperson said in a tweet.
On the proposed move by the Delhi government to shift the Rohingya Muslims to a new location, the MHA has directed the Delhi government to ensure that the Rohingya illegal foreigners remain at their present location as it has already taken up the matter of their deportation with the country concerned through the Ministry of External Affairs.
Also read: Puri said Rohingya refugees will be shifted to flats in outer Delhi Bakkarwala
"The 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," the spokesperson said. Union home ministry (MHA) on Wednesday clarified that the Centre has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi.
The clarification comes after Union minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Puri on Wednesday announced that the Centre plans to resettle around 1,100 Rohingyas, currently living in tents in Madanpur Khadar area of the national capital, to flats with basic facilities and round-the-clock security in another part of Delhi.
Rebutting housing minister, MHA says no direction to provide flats to Rohingya, should remain in detention centres The ministry also said illegal foreigners will be kept in a detention centre till their deportation as per law. It said the Delhi government has not declared the present location as a detention centre adding that it has been directed to do the same immediately.
“With respect to news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi,” the MHA tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) came down heavily against Puri and said that instead of housing to Rohingya, the government should push them out of India. "We might remind Puri of the statement made by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on December 10, 2020, declaring that Rohingya will never be accepted in India," said Alok Kumar, central working president of VHP said.
The VHP said that there are Rohingya living across the country. "Giving shelter to such illegal refugees will certainly jeopardise India's internal security," the VHP said. Congress also vehemently criticised the ruling BJP for the "lack of cooperation amongst its ministries". "The incident has once again shown that there is a lack of cooperation in the ministries of Narendra Modi government. First of all they should bring their house into order," said Congress MP from Assam Pradyut Bordoloi.
