BJP, PDP engage in war of words over Rohingya issue

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 22

The war of words over the settlement of Rohingya in Jammu has intensified between the BJP and the PDP as the saffron party today hit back at its coalition partner for ‘supporting’ the illegal settlement of foreigners in sensitive locations on the outskirts of Jammu city.

While the face-off between the coalition partners has already started on the issue, the Panthers Party today shifted the blame on the Congress and the BJP for settling Rohingya in Jammu for politics.

The campaign against the settlement of Rohingya gained momentum after the February 10 Sunjuwan Army camp attack as intelligence agencies established local support to the terrorists who stormed the camp. The camp is surrounded by colonies of illegal foreign settlers.

A day after PDP chief spokesman Rafi Mir made a veiled attack on the BJP for ‘communalising’ the stay of Rohingya in Jammu, the latter blamed the former for ‘trying to disrupt communal harmony’ in the region by supporting foreigners illegally living near sensitive locations.

Without naming the anyone for terming the Rohingya settlement in Jammu a ‘human’ issue, BJP spokesman Varinder Gupta said: “If such people have great concern for humanity then why are they not providing them shelter in the Valley.”

In an obvious reference towards the PDP, Gupta said: “The resistance offered by those at the helm of affairs in the state government and the majority community of the state against their deportation from the state is not understandable.”

He said that by their resistance, they wanted to invite trouble for peace and communal harmony of the state.

On Wednesday, the PDP chief spokesman said the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were “protected under international laws” to which the Central government was a signatory.

“Rohingya have also human rights and are protected under the Constitution of India as well,” he argued.

Meanwhile, J&KNational Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh today said that both Congress and BJP were responsible for settling the foreigners in Jammu. “The BJP and the Congress are blaming each other for their illegal settlement,” he said.

He said if the Rohingya were settled in Jammu during the Congress rule, the BJP had provided them all amenities and facilitated their stay in and around Jammu and were equally responsible.

Meanwhile, Vikramaditya Singh has also joined the campaign. “Have been repeatedly pointing out serious concerns arising out of the growing settlements of illegal Rohingya immigrants in Jammu region. (The) Army Chief rightly pointed out this must be addressed as a major national security threat, also acknowledged earlier by the Home Ministry,” he wrote on Twitter.

6,523 foreigners in J&K

• As per official records, 6,523 Rohingya live in J&K. Out of them, 6,461 live in Jammu and 62 in Kashmir
• As many as 3,194 men and 2,916 women Rohingya have UNHCR cards while 180 men and 233 women have no UNHCR cards
• 48 families of foreigners are living near the Sunjuwan Army camp which was attacked by terrorists on February 10