Karnataka takes U-turn on deportation of Rohingyas

Satya Prakash

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

Having told the Supreme Court that it had no immediate plan to deport Rohingyas living in Bengaluru, the BJP government in Karnataka has taken a U-turn on the contentious issue.

In a fresh affidavit filed in the top court, the Karnataka Government — which had earlier opposed Delhi BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay’s petition seeking deportation of illegal Rohingya immigrants — dropped the controversial part of its September 20 affidavit which said there was no immediate plan to deport them.

The latest affidavit dated October 26 also omitted certain other portions its earlier “statement of objection” filed before the top court that had sought dismissal of Upadhyay’s PIL “in the interest of justice”, terming the grounds raised by him as “self-serving” and “untenable in law”.

Now, it has said 126 Rohingyas living in Karnataka have been identified and that they are not living in any camp or detention centre. “Whatever the order that would be passed by this court will be scrupulously adhered to and followed in its letter and spirit,” it said.

The latest affidavit of the Karnataka Government was silent on the reasons for the sudden change in its stand on the issue of illegal Rohingya immigrants. However, it is clear that the earlier affidavit went against the categorical stand taken by the Centre, which said they were a security threat to the country and had no fundamental right to stay in India.