Mayor’s questionable claim on Bangla nationals in Lucknow raises eyebrows

Municipal corporation officials say they are not aware of any such survey identifying nearly two lakh illegal Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya in Lucknow, senior police official suggests mayor should share data with other stakeholders and agencies

Mayor Sushma Kharakwal’s “questionable” claim, citing a supposed survey, that nearly two lakh Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya are illegally residing in the state capital has raised eyebrows.

Mayor Sushma Kharakwal along with municipal commissioner Indrajeet Singh addressing the press conference at LMC headquarter in Lucknow on Friday. (Deepak Gupta/HT)

While top officials in the Lucknow Municipal Corporation said they were “not aware of any such survey”, the mayor at her press conference didn’t share the details of the said “survey” nor when it was done and what the specific findings were.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow police, which has a major role to play in the identification of any illegal foreign nationals in the city, also expressed no knowledge of any such survey.

Speaking to HT, joint commissioner of police (law and order) Amit Verma said if that is the number of illegal Bangladeshis in the city, then it is a matter of concern. The mayor should share the data with other stakeholders and agencies, including Lucknow Police, as she holds a responsible position, he said.

“The authenticity of such data would be checked by the relevant authorities/agencies which are involved in giving citizenship if that is the case and further course of action will be taken,” he said.

Keeping track of illegal foreign nationals in a city or state falls in the domain of departments like the police and not the municipal corporation, people in the know of things said.

“The municipal corporation has not conducted any survey to determine the number of unauthorised people living in the state capital, leaving officials uncertain about the basis of the figure mentioned by the mayor,” a senior LMC official said on condition of anonymity.

The issue was purportedly discussed during a meeting chaired by the mayor at the Lucknow Municipal Corporation head office in the state capital on Friday.

Kharakwal reportedly stated that the municipal authorities are compiling a list of illegal settlements and identifying the landowners who have facilitated such encroachments.

She also reportedly said this information will be sent to the administration as well as other officials of the state government, and strict action will follow against those involved.

The mayor questioned how these individuals managed to obtain official identification on government land, such as railway tracks, where no valid address exists.

She raised concerns over the effectiveness of the authorities responsible for issuing these documents and called for accountability.

Kharakwal said many of these individuals work as garbage pickers or sanitation workers during the day but are allegedly involved in criminal activities such as theft at night. She added that their illegal presence diminishes opportunities for genuine workers of the city and disrupts public order.