Centre tells Supreme Court Rohingya are ‘security threat’

The Rohingya refugee debate is far from over in India as the government continued to make a strong pitch for their deportation.

India Today TV has exclusively accessed a copy of the affidavit that the government was all set to file in the Supreme Court where it argues that the refugees are a security 

The government is thought to have held back the document for tweaks at the last moment. The ministry of home Affairs will ask the SC not to interfere with the deportation process, saying they are illegal immigrants and hence can’t stay in India.

The government has made a security pitch as well as a right to resources plea to the Supreme Court. 

The government fears that the north-eastern corridor that has already seen many insurgencies, including ULFA in Assam and Naga uprising in Nagaland as well as a volatile Manipur, could be further exploited by elements from the Rohingya Muslim community.

The affidavit adds, ‘There is also a serious potential and possibility of eruption of violence against Myanmar government/its diplomatic missions and also against Buddhists who are Indian citizen who stay on Indian soil by the radicalised Rohingya.’ 

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled from Myanmar following a military crackdown, which the UN has described as ‘ethnic cleansing’.

Many taking refuge in Bangladesh and some then crossing a porous border into India.

Myanmar says its forces are carrying out their legitimate duty to restore order after guerrilla attacks last month on security posts and an army camp in which about a dozen people were killed. 

Interestingly, the Narendra Modi government has connected militancy with sections of Rohingyas living in India. 

A Rohingyan refugee cradles his infant son. Almost 400 Rohingya are estimated to have been killed. The minority Muslim group are barred from citizenship in Myanmar despite them living there for generations

‘Some of the Rohingya with militant backgrounds are also found to be very active in Jammu, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mewat, and have been identified as having a very serious and potential threat to the internal/national security of India,’  said the affidavit.

A senior official -on condition of anonymity –  said they have particular objection to Jammu as the radicalised elements.

Mewat, not far from Delhi, has in the past seen communal tensions which authorities believe can be exploited by these elements with the Rohingya Muslims living in India.

Rohingya pictured fleeing the overwhelmingly Buddhist country of Myanmar, where attacks against the government have led to reports of genocide

Hyderabad has been a hotbed of ISIS sympathisers with many being arrested and questioned for days as they embarked to go to Syria. 

Agencies fear the growing presence of Rohingya Muslims in the southern city is a ticking time bomb that is impossible to monitor 24/7.

Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju said this month that the Rohingya living in India have to be ‘pushed back’. 

Dr Jitendra Singh, who handles the Ministry Of Personnel, told India Today TV that their deportation is natural and there is nothing wrong in it.

Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also feel that a tough stand on the issue will send a positive message to the party’s core constituency that will help it in upcoming assembly elections in key states.

Security is not the only pitch the government is making. 

‘Providing facilities/privileges to illegal immigrants out of the existing national resources , apart from above referred direct threat to national security, would also have a direct adverse impact upon Indian citizens.

‘It would deprive the Indian citizen of the legitimate share in the employment sector, subsidized housing, medical and educational facilities.’