Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has come out in support of Rohingya Muslim refugees and expressed concern over the Centre’s stand to deport them back to Myanmar.
“We are with the United Nations who appealed the international community to help the Rohingyas. We believe that all commoners are not terrorists,” she said.
Sayantan Basu, State BJP General Secretary, termed Mamata’s concern for Rohingyas as appeasement politics. “There are reports that the state government was trying to enrol these Rohingyas in the voter list. This is a threat to national security. Our only question is why she is mum when a large numbers of Hindus are facing the same problem in Bangladesh. She never takes side of Hindus being targeted in Bangladesh, she only stands with the Muslims,” he said.
Sources said the state government has decided to raise their voice against the Centre’s decision on Rohingya Muslims.
Recently, the Bengal government approached the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) requesting it to grant refugee cards to Rohingyas lodged in the Bengal prisons.
There are no permanent refugee camps for Rohingyas in Bengal. “Nearly 92 Rohingyas are lodged at various jails in Bengal. Once we get orders from the authorities, we we will provide refugee cards to them,” a senior government official said.
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