‘Not consulted by Centre for rehab plan’: Manish Sisodia on Rohingyas

The Delhi deputy CM, without taking names, alleged that the Delhi police and some officials had taken the decision to provide the Rohingyas permanent residence in the city on the instructions of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and at the behest of the Union government.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said the central government has prepared a blueprint to permanently settle Rohingya in flats meant for people from the economically weaker sections in Bakkarwala in Outer Delhi.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. (HT photo/Arvind Yadav)

Sisodia was responding to a clarification issued by the Union home ministry that the Centre has not issued any directions to allot flats to the “Rohingya illegal migrants”, and “government of Delhi proposed to shift the Rohingya to a new location”. The MHA clarification contradicted a tweet by Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Puri that the refugees will provided government flats, basic amenities and police security.

Without taking names, Sisodia alleged that the Delhi police and some officials had taken the decision to provide the Rohingyas permanent residence in the city on the instructions of Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and at the behest of the Union government.

“The central government, which was hailing the news (about shifting of Rohingyas) as its achievement in the morning, has now started shifting the blame on the Delhi government after the Aam Aadmi Party opposed such a step,” Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.

Sisodia said, “ Minister Hardeep Puri claims Delhi Police will provide 24x7 security to Rohingyas; PM is even planning to give them permanent shops. If the Centre wants to settle Rohingyas, they should take them to a BJP ruled state; Delhi Government will oppose this move with all its might.”

The Aam Aadmi Party also slammed the Centre over the move and termed shifting of Rohingyas a “big threat” to national security.

“The Delhi government will not let this conspiracy to illegally settle Rohingyas in Delhi succeed,” Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said at a press conference. “This is a serious matter concerning national security. Why no investigation has been ordered till now ? What was the Centre conspiring ? Even the FRRO department which has actually requested for flats for Rohingyas is also under the Modi government,” Bharadwaj said.

Give EWS flats, bungalows or whatever you want. We won’t allow allocation of flats to them in Delhi at all, he added.