Delhi protests: ‘Illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants had incited violence in Seelampur’
The Citizenship Amendment Act will apply to people of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who've come to India to escape religious persecution.
Key Highlights
- Sources suggest that the Bangladeshi migrants residing in Delhi for years will be the worst hit by the CAA
- The report cautions that violence may spread to areas with a large presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants
- All police stations in Delhi have received a list of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with a criminal background with the order of tracking as well as arresting them
New Delhi: A secret report by the Delhi Police's Special Branch has alleged that a number of men in mobs that were involved in stone-pelting and arson in the national capital on Tuesday were illegal Bangladeshi Muslim migrants.
The report mentioned that an organised group of Bangladeshis, who are likely to be the worst hit by the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA), were behind the violence in the Seelampur area of northeast Delhi.
It further said that the violence was instilled by several such Bangladeshis with criminal past. Some masked and armed infiltrators had set the state properties ablaze.
Noting that the protest was peaceful for the last two days, it said that at around 2 pm on Tuesday, around 10-15 people resorted to violence and targeted a school bus.
The report cautions that violence may spread to other areas in the neighbourhood with a large presence of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
It also proposes strict patrolling in shanties and slums in localities such as Sarita Vihar, Kalyanpuri, Trilokpuri, Shastri Park, Shaheen Bagh, Zakir Nagar, Gazipur Mandi area, and several pockets of Khoda, where violence could unfold.
Sources suggest that the Bangladeshi migrants residing in Delhi for years will be the worst hit by the CAA. A DCP-rank officer told news agency IANS that such migrants will have to either return to their country of origin or face detention. That is why they ignited violence.
As per Delhi Police sources, all police stations have received a list of illegal Bangladeshi migrants with criminal backgrounds with the order of tracking as well as arresting them.
Official sources suggest that the Union Home Ministry is planning to provide the Indian citizenship to all future migrants, including Muslims, "irrespective" of their numbers "if found eligible".
"The present legal process of acquiring Indian citizenship by any foreigner of any category through naturalisation (Section 6 of the Citizenship Act) or through registration (Section 5 of the Act) stays operational. The CAA does not amend or alter it in any manner whatsoever," IANS cited the official as saying.
"In 2014, after the settlement of Indo-Bangladesh boundary issues, 14,864 Bangladeshi citizens were given Indian citizenship when their enclaves were incorporated into the territory of India. Thousands of these foreigners were Muslims." The official further dismissed the notion that any illegal Muslim immigrant from these three countries will be sent back under the CAA.
"The CAA has absolutely nothing to do with deportation of any foreigner from India. The deportation process of any foreigners irrespective of his religion or country is implemented as per the mandate of the Foreigners Act, 1946 or The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920. These two laws govern entry, stay, movement within India and exit from India of all foreigners irrespective of their religion or country."