BJP settled Rohingya refugees in Delhi, claim AAP leaders

The AAP on Sunday accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to bring and settle Rohingya refugees in Delhi, amid an intensifying political battle in the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections.

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AAP leader Manish Sisodia said, “Hardeep Puri’s 2022 tweet is proof that BJP itself hatched the conspiracy to bring and settle Rohingyas in Delhi. These people settled them here by giving them EWS flats, security, and all facilities. Spread hatred from the front, and settle Rohingyas from behind – this is the dirty and deceitful politics of BJP. Stop misleading the people of Delhi. Your double tricks will not work now.”

While Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that the BJP people were in such a hurry to make false allegations against Arvind Kejriwal that they forgot who brought the Rohingya to Delhi, who settled them there and where.

The controversy stems from a tweet by Hardeep Puri on August 17, 2022, where he announced the relocation of Rohingya refugees to EWS flats in Delhi’s Bakkarwala area. “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 Bakkarwala, Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs, and round-the-clock Delhi Police protection,” Puri had tweeted.

Citing this tweet, AAP leaders have intensified their criticism of BJP. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted, “Read this tweet by Hardeep Puri ji. You will know who brought Rohingya to Delhi, who settled them and where?”

Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva in response, stated that ever since the BJP launched a campaign to disenfranchise illegally residing Rohingya and Bangladeshis and expel them from India, Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders have been resorting to “baseless” rhetoric to divert attention from the core issues affecting Delhi.

He said AAP leaders were misleading people by citing an old tweet from 2022 by Union Minister Sardar Hardeep Singh Puri. “The tweet had mentioned the settlement of legal refugees, not illegal infiltrators.”

He said, “These illegal infiltrators are not only disturbing the social harmony in Delhi and other states but are also contributing to the increasing crime rates in cities.”