The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has strongly objected to the plan by the central govt to house Rohingya Muslims in EWS flats in Delhi and provide them basic amenities. After Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri announced that all Rohingya Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi, VHP issued a statement urging the govt to reconsider the move and expel the Rohingya Muslims from India instead.
Video statement of Shri @AlokKumarLIVE in Hindi pic.twitter.com/R8ZvSOcIjg
— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) August 17, 2022
Alok Kumar, the International President of the VHP, stated in the statement that it is upsetting to witness Hardeep Puri, the Union Minister for Urban Development, referring to the Rohingya Muslims as refugees and awarding them EWS apartments in Bakkarwala, Delhi. He stated that the Union of India’s continuous position, including in its affidavit submitted before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, is that the Rohingyas are not refugees but infiltrators.
Alok Kumar said, “We are shocked to see a statement of Sh. Hardeep Puri, the Union Minister for Urban Development terming the Rohingyas as refugees and allotting to them the EWS flats in Bakkarwala, Delhi. We might remind Mr Puri of the statement made by the Union Home Minister Sh. Amit Shah in Parliament on 10.12.2020 declaring that Rohingyas will never be accepted in India (Rohingya Ko Kabhi Bhi Sweekar Nahi Kiya Jaega).”
“The fact that the Hindu Refugees from Pakistan continue to live in abysmal sub-human conditions in Majnu-ka-Tila area of Delhi makes the bounty proposed to be conferred on the Rohingyas makes it more deplorable,” he added.
“The VHP urges the Government of India to reconsider this issue and instead of providing the Rohingyas with housing, make arrangements to send them back and out of India.,” the statement further added.
Notably, on August 16, the Government of India decided to shift 1,100 registered Rohingya ‘refugees’ to EWS flats in the Bakkarwala area of Delhi. In a tweet, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said, “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. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs, and round-the-clock Delhi Police protection.”
However, after there was an outrage against the move on social media, several BJP leaders tweeted that the govt is not sheltering Rohingyas, and there will be an official clarification explaining the move.
There is no move to rehabilitate Rohingyas as is being talked about. Wait for official clarification.
— Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga (@TajinderBagga) August 17, 2022
It is noteworthy that though Hardeep Singh Puri said that India respects and follows the UN Refugee Convention 1951 and provides refuge to all, actually India is not obligated to provide them with any facilities as it is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee convention of the United Nations. Prior to this, the union govt has said multiple times in courts and parliament that Rohingya Muslims are illegal immigrants and they are not refugees.
