Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that Bangladeshi nationals illegally staying in the state will be sent to detention centres, followed by deportation.
BJP leader C T Ravi urged both the state and the central governments to identify all Bangladeshi immigrants and issue them a working visa in order to prevent undue exploitation of these immigrants and also put an end to the menace of illegal immigration.
Ravi’s views are seen as diametrically opposite to those of his party leaders, such as former Bengaluru City police commissioner Bhaskar Rao and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, who had stated that the illegal stay of Bangladeshi nationals in Bengaluru poses a threat to both the state and the nation.
Ravi told reporters that “if we fail to identify the existence of these illegal immigrants, then these immigrants may secure Aadhaar card and Voter ID card. It will also pose threat to democracy as well as to law and order situation in the state and in the country.”
“These illegal immigrants are working in Malnad’s coffee estates to Assam tea farms. We need to identify these workers and issue them working visa or identification card, similar to that issued to the working class from our country working in Gulf countries. This (working visa) system will not only end the exploitation of these immigrants, but also make our country a safe place,” he argued.
Crackdown regular
Maintaining that the police crackdown on Bangladeshi nationals illegally staying in the state has been taking place on a regular basis, Parameshwara said the police will identify those who come to Karnataka from Bangladesh. “If they don’t have valid documents like passport, visa, they will be arrested immediately and sent to detention centres. After that, we will inform Bangladesh High Commission or ambassador about the arrest of their nationals and seek their permission to deport them,” he said.
Taking a dig at former city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao’s remarks, the home minister said, “During his tenure as commissioner he might have failed to do it, we are doing it now.”