Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) The Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam said on Tuesday in the Maharashtra Assembly that the state government, in order to prevent the influx of illegal immigrants, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, would follow-up with the Union government to amend the Indian Passport Act and the Foreigners Act to make their provisions more stringent.
The Union Minister was replying to a debate on the Calling Attention Motion moved by legislators Sanjay Upadhyay, Atul Bhatkhalkar, Bhaskar Jadhav, Yogesh Sagar, Sunil Prabhu, Manisha Chaudhary, Ameet Satam and Sudhir Mungantiwar.
Minister Kadam said that strict action is being taken against Bangladeshi citizens residing and infiltrating illegally in Maharashtra.
The Minister added: “The state government and the police department have launched a special campaign against illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators in Maharashtra. Action is being taken against suspected citizens by checking them through local police stations. The Mumbai Police recently raided various areas and arrested 16 Bangladeshi citizens. All of them were residing illegally.”
“Earlier, 13 Bangladeshi citizens were arrested in the Nalasopara area. These infiltrators had entered India from the West Bengal-Bangladesh border and started working as labourers in Mumbai. Cases have been registered against contractors who provided houses on rent to Bangladeshi citizens in the limits of Thane city’s Nizampura, Manpada and Kasarwadavali police stations,” he said.
The Minister said that cases have been registered against Bangladeshi nationals working on a construction site on the basis of fake documents under the limits of Mahad Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation police station in Raigad district.
Three Bangladeshi nationals were found working as labourers at a stone crusher in Anwa of Jalna district, and cases have also been registered against them, he added.
“Two Bangladeshi nationals were found residing illegally within the limits of Kurar police station under Circle 12 of Brihanmumbai Police Commissionerate. Both of them were working at a building construction site. A case has been registered against them and investigation is underway,” he said.
BJP leader Ameet Satam, while speaking on the matter, said that Bangladeshis and Rohingyas residing in Mumbai and Maharashtra often work as labourers and construction workers.
“They are involved in criminal activities to a large extent. This has come to light when a Bollywood actor was attacked at his home,” he added.
–IANS
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