J&K must support Centre’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said the Jammu and Kashmir government must augment Central government’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants in the wake of security threats.

Addressing a press conference, Rajni Sethi, spokesperson of J&K BJP, accompanied by Pardeep Mahotra, media in-charge of the party unit, said, “The Supreme Court recently remarked that ‘India is not a Dharamshala’, reinforcing the nation's sovereign right to regulate who resides within its borders”.

She said this statement gains added urgency in light of the horrific terrorist attack on April 22, which targeted innocent tourists. “The incident has deeply shocked the entire country and raised serious concerns about internal security, especially in sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir,” said Sethi.

“The J&K government must take immediate steps on ground to augment the efforts of the Union government in the deportation of illegal Bangladeshis/Rohingyas to secure the nation from the threats that may arise internally,” she said.

“In response to the attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a directive to identify and deport all illegal Pakistani nationals residing in India. What is especially alarming is that many of these individuals have been living in India for years and possess Indian identity documents such as Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and ration cards—fraudulently obtained through illegal means. This not only undermines our national identity systems but also poses a direct threat to our internal security and national integrity,” she stated.

Sethi said large numbers of Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants have also entered India illegally and settled in various states and UTs. “Their presence—often undocumented and unmonitored—represents a serious challenge to the law-and-order situation. It is well known that some of these individuals have been involved in illegal activities, including human trafficking, smuggling, and radicalisation. The demographic impact of their settlement also causes social and political unrest in various regions,” she said.