Manish Sisodia urges Amit Shah to order probe into shifting of Rohingya Muslims to EWS flats in Delhi

Manish Sisodia said that he has written to Shah urging him to clarify Centre's stand on shifting of Rohingya Muslims to the flats. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday made it clear that it had not given any directions to provide flats to Rohingya Muslims in Delhi and asked the Arvind Kejriwal government to ensure the illegal foreigners remained at their present location.
​Manish Sisodia

Manish Sisodia

Photo : PTI
New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should order a probe to ascertain on whose instructions the decision to shift Rohingya Muslims to EWS flats was taken.
Sisodia said that he has written to Shah urging him to clarify the Centre's stand on shifting of Rohingya Muslims to the apartments.
“We didn't decide to shift Rohingya Muslims to flats, Centre also says it didn't. Then, who took the decision? asked Sisodia.
The AAP leader claimed that some meetings were held in Delhi to provide flats to Rohingyas where Central government officers were present.
"Neither the Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal) nor the Home Minister of Delhi had knowledge of it, we got to know through newspapers that a scheme to provide flats to Rohingyas is going on. I asked the officers and got to know some meetings did take place where Central government officers were present," he said.
"When I asked for details of the meeting, I saw that it was mentioned in the files that for the approval by the Central government, it was being directly sent through Chief Secretary to the Lt Governor. It was completely hidden from the elected government of Delhi, why this conspiracy," he added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday made it clear that it had not given any directions to provide flats to Rohingya Muslims in Delhi and asked the Arvind Kejriwal government to ensure the illegal foreigners remained at their present location.
The MHA also said the Rohingya illegal foreigners are to be kept in detention centres until their deportation as per the law and the Delhi government has been directed to declare the current site of their stay as detention centre.
“With respect to news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that the MHA has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi,” a ministry spokesperson said.
According to an estimate of the Home Ministry, around 40,000 Rohingya migrants live in different parts of the country, including Delhi.
Noting that the Delhi government proposed to shift the Rohingya Muslims to a new location, the Home Ministry said it has directed the Delhi government to ensure that the Rohingya illegal foreigners remain at their present location as it has already taken up the matter of their deportation with the country concerned through the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The illegal foreigners are to be kept in the detention centre till their deportation as per law. The government of Delhi has not declared the present location as a detention centre. They have been directed to do the same immediately,” the spokesperson said.
The Centre’s clarification came after Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri claimed that Rohingya refugees will be shifted to apartments in Bakkarwala in outer Delhi and will also be provided basic amenities and police protection.
Reacting to Sisodia's charges, BJP MP Gautam Gambhir said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should clarify his stand on Rohingya Muslims.
"Nobody can do politics as low as them, only this party, this person can do this. There is a simple question and they should answer it - why was the letter which stated that Rohingyas should be given better accommodation, and better facilities, written?," he said.
"Our stand is very clear, HM had clarified on the floor of the House that we want to deport the Rohingyas. That is the stand of our party. Delhi CM should be asked what his stand on Rohingyas is. When will he give an answer?" Gambhir added.
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