State cracking down on illegal Bangladeshis: CM

CM Fadnavis announced a crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in Maharashtra and discussed regulating religious places of all faiths.

NAGPUR: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the state has started cracking down on illegal Bangladeshi citizens living in Mumbai and Maharashtra, and they would soon be deported. He also said the government would study the demand to bring religious places of communities other than Hindus under the state’s control.

State cracking down on illegal Bangladeshis: CM

Addressing the media at Vidhan Bhavan after the conclusion of the winter session of the state legislature on Saturday, Fadnavis said, “The state government is firm on action against Bangladeshi immigrants staying illegally in Mumbai. We have already started action against them and they will be deported.”

Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar had, during the course of business in the lower house, expressed the need to bring religious places of faiths other than Hindus under the control of the state government. He had claimed it was a public demand, that not only Hindu temples but places of worship of other faiths should also be brought under government regulation.

When Fadnavis was asked to comment on this, he said, “All religious places including temples are administered under various laws, such as Waqf for Muslim religious places, and trusts in some cases. There are separate laws enacted. However, the speaker has brought up a very important issue. It needs to be examined legally,” he said.

The chief minister also said that organisations raising objections to the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, proposed by the government will be heard before the law is passed in the legislature. “The bill has been drafted on the demand of the anti-naxal squads of the police and on the lines of the law existing in some Maoist-infested states like Chhattisgarh. However, we want it to be passed after due deliberation and hence it has been sent to a joint select committee of 21 members of both houses. Organisations raising objections will get an opportunity to present their stand on the law before the JSC,” he said.