SRINAGAR: In a pointed demand made on Wednesday, senior BJP leader and chief spokesman for the party in Jammu and Kashmir, Sunil Sethi, called for the immediate deportation of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis residing in the Jammu region. Describing them as “illegal intruders” and “supporters of anti-national elements,” Sethi argued that their presence poses a grave threat to the region’s security, stability, and law and order.
Speaking at a press conference in Jammu, Sethi alleged that members of these migrant communities had illegally participated in the Urban Local Bodies elections, thereby compromising the democratic process. “Evidence has emerged of their involvement in casting votes, which is not only illegal but also a dangerous precedent,” he said. Sethi further accused these groups of engaging in organised criminal activities, including drug trafficking, which he claimed were destabilising the region.
The BJP leader also criticised Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his humanitarian stance towards the Rohingyas and Bangladeshis. Abdullah had earlier called for a humane approach, advocating that the migrants should not be left to suffer from hunger and cold. Sethi, however, took a sharp swipe at Abdullah’s position, suggesting that such compassion could extend to terrorists in the future. “A misplaced sense of humanitarianism should not override the safety and security of our people,” Sethi remarked, questioning the rationale behind Abdullah’s statements.
Calling the situation an “escalating security and social crisis,” Sethi urged the government to take immediate steps to deport these individuals and also called for protests in Kashmir to highlight the issue.
Abdullah, in his earlier remarks, had urged the central government to clarify its stance on the status of these migrants, emphasising that they should either be deported or allowed to stay with proper safeguards to ensure their humane treatment. (With KINS inputs)
