‘Correct position’: Hardeep Puri after MHA rebuttal on Centre’s Rohingya plan

New Delhi, Aug 17: After Centre denied any move to shift Rohingya Muslims in Delhi to EWS flats, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the MHA's statement gives out the "correct position".

In his earlier tweet during the day, Puri, however, had said that Rohingya refugees would be shifted to apartments in Bakkarwala in outer Delhi and would also be provided basic amenities and police protection. Later in the day, the MHA issued a press release, making it clear that it had not given any directions to provide flats to Rohingya Muslims in Delhi and asked the Arvind Kejriwal government to ensure the illegal foreigners remained at their present location.

The MHA also said the Rohingya illegal foreigners are to be kept in detention centres until their deportation as per the law and the Delhi government has been directed to declare the current site of their stay as detention centre.

"Home Ministry's press release with respect to the issue of Rohingya illegal foreigners gives out the correct position," Puri tweeted along with a copy of MHA's statement.

Home Ministry’s press release with respect to the issue of Rohingya illegal foreigners gives out the correct position. https://t.co/NhLPKaJTdg

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 17, 2022

A Union Home Ministry spokesperson in a statement on Twitter said that illegal foreigners are to be kept in Detention Centre till their deportation as per law. The Government of Delhi has not declared the present location as a Detention Centre. They have been directed to do the same immediately, the spokesperson said.

"With respect to news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners, it is clarified that the MHA has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi," spokesperson also said.

Earlier in the day, Puri tagged a news agency story in his posts and said those who had made a career out of spreading canards on India's refugee policy deliberately linking it to CAA would be disappointed.

"India respects & follows @UN Refugee Convention 1951 & provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed," he said. "India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country.

In a landmark decision all #Rohingya #Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs and round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection," he said in his earlier tweet.