While Karnataka has not taken any coercive action against Rohingyas in the State till date, it will abide by the apex court directions on the matter, Advocate-General Prabhuling K. Navadgi has said.
The State Government recently submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, which is hearing a PIL petition filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay against the presence of immigrants and infiltrators, including Rohingyas, stating that Karnataka had not taken coercive action against Rohingyas.
“Our affidavit is being misunderstood as though we have opposed the deportation of Rohingyas. We have only stated the ground situation. We have specifically said we will abide by the apex court’s directions in letter and spirit,” Mr. Navadgi said.
A senior police official said a policy on the Rohingyas was to be formulated by the Union Government. “As on date, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has not asked us to identify, arrest, and deport Rohingyas like it has for illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. While Rohingyas have also not been officially recognised as refugees and given asylum like the Tibetans, they are also not being pursued and deported,” the official explained.
“As per our records, there are 72 Rohingyas in Bengaluru. Less than 1% of Rohingya refugees in India are based out of Karnataka,” a senior official said.
Karnataka is one of the first States in the country to administer COVID-19 vaccine to Rohingyas, most of whom do not have any identification documents, sources said.
