Rohingya issue: Varun Gandhi takes opposite stand to central government

Gandhi, in an editorial to Navbharat Times, proposed for an asylum to tackle the Rohingya crisis, contrary to what the Modi government earlier stated.

In an interview to NDTV, the young BJP MP said: "I've called for empathy, leading potentially to asylum, while vetting each applicant for national security concerns."

The central government, on a contrary view to Gandhi's comment, had already said they want to deport the Rohingyas as they are a threat to the national security.

The Centre, days ago, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that  the presence of Rohingyas Muslims in the country poses national security threats as intelligence reports suggest links of a section of the immigrants, branded stateless in Myanmar, with Pak-based terror groups.

According to reports, the Centre also told the apex court that whether or not Rohingya refugees should be allowed to settle in the country be left to the executive.

The top court had asked the government to file an affidavit following a petition against the deportation of the illegal immigrants to Myanmar.

The Centre said in the apex court: “As far as Rohingyas are concerned, they claimed to have entered from Myanmar using porous border between India and Myanmar. The total number of such illegal immigrants into our country would be more than 40,000 approximately as on date.”

“Rohingya presence in the country has serious national security ramifications and it poses national security threats. Illegal influx of Rohingyasinto India started in 2012-13 and inputs suggest links of some of the immigrants with Pak-based terror groups. ”

The Supreme Court has granted Centre time till October three to submit its response to petition filed by Rohingyas opposing proposed deportation.

Reacting to the Rohingya issue on last Thursday, home minister Rajnath Singh said it is irrelevant to criticise the central government when Burma (Myanmar) is willing to take back the illegal immigrants, media reports said.

"If Burma is willing to take them back, why criticise the central government?" Singh raised a question on Thursday, lashing out at opposition parties.

The home minister even stated that the Rohingyas are not the refugees but illegal immigrants.

"There is a process of attaining the refugee status but none of them (Rohingyas) have gone through it" Singh said.

He even denied to term the ongoing Rohingya crisis as a Human Rights issue.