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Rohingyas a threat to national security, should be deported: Govt to SC

Published

9 years ago

September 14, 2017

Rohingyas a threat to national security, should be deported: Govt to SC

Affidavit reportedly claims that intelligence inputs suggest Rohingya militant groups active in Jammu, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mewat; could be used by IS

Amid a global outrage over the continued persecution of Rohingya Muslims by the Myanmar establishment, the Union government, on Thursday, told the Supreme Court that it cannot allow the illegal immigrants from Rakhine State to stay in India as refugees as they pose a threat to national security.

The Union home ministry which filed an affidavit on the Rohingya issue in the Supreme Court on Thursday, has reportedly said that refugees of Myanmar’s ethnic minority group who are settled in scattered camps across India could be used by domestic and foreign terror groups to foment trouble in the country.

The affidavit, it is learnt, claims that inputs received from various Indian intelligence agencies suggest that at least some Rohingya groups living in India have links with terror groups. The Centre claimed Rohingya militant groups are active in Jammu, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mewat (in Haryana), and could be used by the Islamic State.

However, no evidence of this claim has been provided in the home ministry’s affidavit, which adds “National interest warrants their (Rohingyas) deportation. No illegal immigrant has the right to stay in India.”

The affidavit has been submitted before the Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, which is presiding over proceedings on a bunch of public interest litigations and intervener petitions that have either sought deportation of the Rohingya Muslims or for directions to the Union government to provide a safe haven to these refugees.

The affidavit comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has been at the receiving end of criticism from various human rights groups and also the United Nations for not recognizing the persecution of Rohingyas as a humanitarian issue and instead indicating its willingness to deport them to Myanmar where thousands from the ethnic minority have been killed by the Junta over the past few weeks. India and Myanmar do not recognize the term Rohingya and the issues of the world’s most persecuted ethnic minority are referred to by both nations as ‘developments in the Rakhine state’ or matters of illegal immigrants.

Earlier this week, the United Nations’ top human rights official Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein had criticised India for wanting to deport Rohingya refugees. “I deplore current measures in India to deport Rohingyas at a time of such violence against them in their country (Myanmar),” Zeid said. Zeid had also implored India to bear in mind its obligations under international law and said: “India cannot carry out collective expulsions, or return people to a place where they risk torture or other serious violations.”

But the Indian government, as suggested by the affidavit placed before the Supreme Court, maintains that it sees Rohingyas as a threat to the country’s national security.

Next week, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea filed by two Rohingya immigrants, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, challenging the Indian government’s decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants back to Myanmar. The plea, filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of the two, claims that Salimullah and Shaqir had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.

Opposing the plea, former RSS ideologue KN Govindacharaya has also moved the apex court seeking to make him a party in the case filed by the two Rohingya Muslims. Govindacharya has opposed their plea saying they were “a burden” on the country’s resources and posed a serious threat to national security.

Meanwhile, India has extended humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh through its ‘Operation Insaniyat’ by sending food and other essential items to the neighbour to help it deal with the huge influx of Rohingyas who have fled from Myanmar in recent weeks.

Related Topics:Myanmar Narendra Modi Rohingyas Supreme Court

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Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani appointed as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff

Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani has been appointed as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff and will succeed General Anil Chauhan later this month.

Published

3 hours ago

May 9, 2026

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Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani appointed as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff

The Centre has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), succeeding General Anil Chauhan, whose tenure will conclude on May 30.

According to the government announcement, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani will also serve as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs from the date he assumes charge and until further orders.

Lt Gen Subramani is currently serving as the Military Adviser at the National Security Council Secretariat, a role he has held since September 2025. Before that, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff between July 2024 and July 2025.

A senior officer from the Garhwal Rifles, he was commissioned into the Indian Army in December 1985 and has held several important operational and command positions during his military career. He has commanded formations in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and along the western front.

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. He also studied at the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom and the National Defence College in New Delhi. He holds a Master’s degree from King’s College London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from the University of Madras.

The post of Chief of Defence Staff was created in 2020 to improve coordination among the Army, Navy and Air Force. General Bipin Rawat became India’s first CDS, followed by General Anil Chauhan in 2022. Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani will become the country’s third CDS after assuming office.

India News

Bengal to get BJP’s first CM as Suvendu Adhikari set to take oath today

Suvendu Adhikari will be sworn in as West Bengal Chief Minister, marking the BJP’s first government formation in the state.

Published

4 hours ago

May 9, 2026

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Suvendu Adhikari is set to take oath as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, becoming the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party to head the state government.

The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata and is expected to witness the presence of several senior BJP leaders and supporters from across the state.

Adhikari was unanimously elected as the BJP legislature party leader after the party secured a decisive victory in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. His appointment marks a significant political change in the state, where the BJP is forming the government for the first time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several Union ministers are expected to attend the ceremony. Reports also indicate that the oath event has been planned on a large public scale to underline the BJP’s breakthrough in Bengal politics.

Adhikari emerged as one of the BJP’s key faces in Bengal after defeating Mamata Banerjee in the high-profile Nandigram contest in 2021 and later consolidating his position within the party’s state leadership.

Security arrangements have been tightened around the oath venue, while party workers have gathered in large numbers ahead of the ceremony. The event is being viewed as a landmark moment in West Bengal’s political history.

India News

PM Modi to lead Somnath Amrit Parv celebrations with grand roadshow in Gujarat

PM Modi is set to visit Somnath Temple in Gujarat for the Somnath Amrit Parv celebrations marking 75 years of the temple’s reconstruction, with a roadshow and religious ceremonies planned.

Published

18 hours ago

May 8, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the Somnath Temple in Gujarat on May 11 to lead the ‘Somnath Amrit Parv’ celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the temple’s reconstruction.

According to state ministers and senior officials, the Prime Minister will take part in religious rituals, lead a public roadshow, and address a gathering during the celebrations.

The visit comes months after PM Modi attended the Somnath Swabhiman Parv held earlier this year, which commemorated 1,000 years since the first recorded attack on the temple in 1026.

Grand roadshow and cultural programmes planned

Officials said PM Modi will arrive in Somnath from Jamnagar and lead a one-kilometre roadshow from the Triveni Helipad to the statue of Veer Hamirji Gohil. The procession is expected to feature cultural dance performances from different Indian states along with displays representing the 12 Jyotirlingas.

A Suryakiran Air Show and a flower petal shower over the temple spire are also planned during the event. The Prime Minister is expected to be welcomed by Rishikumars and members of local communities dressed in traditional attire.

During his visit, PM Modi will perform rituals including Kumbhabhishek, Dhvaja Puja and Mahapuja at the temple before addressing a public gathering at Sadbhavna Ground.

Somnath reconstruction anniversary

The celebrations mark 75 years since the reconstructed Somnath Temple was inaugurated in 1951 in the presence of India’s first President Rajendra Prasad. The reconstruction effort after Independence was led under the vision of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and supported by leaders including K.M. Munshi.

State minister Jitu Vaghani said the temple’s restoration remains a symbol of national self-respect and resilience.

After the Somnath events, PM Modi is scheduled to travel to Vadodara to inaugurate the Sardardham Educational Complex. Preparations are also underway for a possible roadshow in the city later in the day.