Govt's next move is to deport them from the country, says MoS Jitendra Singh

JAMMU: Amid ongoing nationwide protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Union Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said that the Central government's next step would be the deportation of Rohingyas from the country.

"The Citizenship (Amendment) Act is applicable across the country including in Jammu and Kashmir. By implication, what will happen here is that the next move will be in relation to the Rohingyas," Singh said while speaking at a function here on Friday.

"Jammu had a sizeable population of Rohingyas and a list would be prepared and their biometrics would also be collected. They'll have to leave India and details being worked out. CAA doesn't give them leverage. The government is considering ways to deport them," he added.

The Union Minister further said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 had become applicable in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir the day it was passed by the Parliament.

"They (Rohingyas) are not part of the six religious minorities in three neighbouring states. They are from Myanmar. So, they have to go back as they are not eligible for Indian citizenship under this act," Singh said.

The law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.