India can't become the refugee capital, Centre takes firm stand on Rohingya crisis

New Delhi: ‘India cannot be made the refugee capital of the world’ is how the central government defended its stand on the Rohingya case in the supreme court. The case is filed to demand asylum and basic facilities to the Rohingya displaced from Myanmar. ‘Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’ clarified that asylum cannot be granted to all the refugees in the nation, while submitting the stand of the central government in the hearing of the case.

Because of the internal conflicts in Myanmar, the Rohingya refugees are entering India, through Bangladesh. The Human Rights activists are demanding asylum and basic facilities by the government on humanitarian grounds. Even the United Nations has appealed to the Indian government for this. The central government is claiming that lakhs of Rohingya refugees entering the country, is a serious threat to the India’s internal security. The Rohingya refugees are also known to be connected with the terrorist organisations in some cases. On this basis, the central government is making preparations to send these refugees to their homeland.

In this situation, a petition has been filed in the supreme court asking for asylum for these refugees and to prevent the government from stopping them at the border. Some Rohingya refugees also had filed a petition for it. During the hearing of this petition, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted the firm stand of the central government on Wednesday. He further clarified the government’s stand with his statement, ‘India cannot be made the refugee capital of the world’. Mehta brought to the attention of the court that if India decides to grant asylum to all the refugees, there will be an flood of refugees and then it will be impossible to stop them.

Mehta ascertained at this time that the Indian government is making efforts to send the refugees back to their homeland. This question is within the central government’s authority and the courts should not intervene in the matter, was the request made by Mehta to the court.