Rohingya refugees entitled to fundamental rights: Asaduddin Owaisi on Centre’s affidavit

Rohingya refugees walk on the muddy path after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 3, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday claimed the affidavit filed by the Centre in the Supreme Court over the Rohingya issue may not stand the legal scrutiny as refugees are also entitled to fundamental rights. “Any policy of a government will be questioned by the Supreme Court if it is violating fundamental rights. The refugees are entitled to the protection of fundamental rights of Article 12 and 14. That is why I say it has no legal leg to stand. It’s an old propaganda of this government,” he told reporters in Hyderabad.

In its affidavit, the Centre said Rohingya Muslims are “illegal” immigrants in the country and their continued stay posed “serious national security ramifications”. The affidavit also said the fundamental right to reside and settle in any part of the country is available to citizens only and illegal refugees cannot invoke the jurisdiction of the SC to enforce the right.

“The affidavit which has been filed today by the government, I am of the opinion, it is an old government agenda and propaganda. It is rehashed and it has no legal leg to stand. It is violative of Article 12 and 14,” the Hyderabad MP said. Owaisi said his party feels that the Rohingyas issue should be seen as a humanitarian and not a Muslim issue.

“As far as my party is concerned, we are of the firm opinion that the Rohingya issue should not be looked as a Muslim issue. It is a humanitarian issue,” he said. “These people have run away from their country to save themselves from a terrorist, Myanmarese military government and to send them back would be a great travesty of justice. I hope that day does not come,” the MIM chief said. When asked about BJP chief Amit Shah testifying in a court in Ahmedabad as a defence witness and stating that he had met then Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani in the state Assembly and later at a hospital on the day of the 2002 Naroda Gam riot, Owaisi asked who was responsible for the riots then. Kodnani is an accused in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case.

“After 15 years, suddenly Amit Shah remembers that he was with Maya Kodnani. Then who did that massacre of Muslims on that day? Who did it? When she was not there, when she was with Amit Shah apparently at that time, then who did that massacre,” he asked. Owaisi claimed that he was “not at all hopeful” in this case and that what happened in the cases of Malegaon and Ajmer blasts “tells a different story of how people in power are trying their best to support their ideological supporters”.