New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Indian government has told the country’s apex court that it is firm in deporting Rohingya Muslims living illegally in the country citing links between them and Pakistan-based terror outfits as well as the Daesh.
In response to a petition filed in the Supreme Court, the government submitted a detailed affidavit Monday morning, wherein it has claimed that “terrorist elements among Rohingyas are active in Delhi, Hyderabad, Mewar, and Jammu posing a serious threat to India’s internal security.”
“There is an organized network of touts operating in Myanmar and Indian state of West Bengal and Tripura to facilitate the influx of illegal Rohingya into India,” the affidavit said.
Filed by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, the 15-page affidavit says it will place intelligence inputs in a sealed cover before the Supreme Court on 3 October to prove its claim on Rohingyas being a security threat.
The ongoing hearing is based on a petition filed by two Rohingyas earlier this month. However, the Narendra Modi-led government has argued that deportation of Rohingyas — a policy decision taken in the interests of citizens, cannot be challenged under Article 32 by non-citizens.
Nevertheless, eminent lawyers including Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhawan, Colin Gonsalves, Ashwani Kumar and Prashant Bhushan and Fali S Nariman appeared in court on Monday to advocate for the cause of Rohingyas. The Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud adjourned the matter after the government sought time to file its response till October 3.
The government also said in its affidavit that by providing refuge to Rohingyas, it will have to incur a huge extra expenditure as that it is basically a ‘drain on India's resources.’
“I urged UN and other rights groups not to indulge in maligning India & Indian government image. It is our sovereign duty to protect our citizens and national security and we will take steps against Rohingyas according to this only,” Kiren Rijiju, India’s Minister of State for Home Affairs said in a different function in New Delhi.
The Indian government has contended that there was an organized Rohingya Muslim influx which started in 2012 and their number is around 40000 now.
