Rohingya issue sensitive, blanket approach won't help: Congress

Asserting that the Rohingya issue was very sensitive and the government's blanket approach will not help sort out matters, the Congress on Monday demanded that the government take all across the political spectrum into confidence on the matter.

"It is a sensitive matter. All of us have to be very restrained and responsible... although there is much to say, I am deliberately restraining myself and using very measured terms.

"First, it is incumbent and obligatory on part of the government to take every part of the political spectrum and segment into confidence in a collective sense on this very important and sensitive matter," said Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

He said the collective consultation/participatory interaction will only help the Narendra Modi government.

"It will help to decipher, delineate, and put boundaries on where there are genuine national security problems and where there are none," the Congress leader added.

"A blanket approach is never helpful."

Singhvi said: "We beseech the government with all earnestness and humility to not use blanket approaches as we are given to understand that the affidavit submitted in the Supreme court suggests that the government of India is not bound by any international treaty.

"Whether it is a technical point or it is a blanket approach, you should be very guarded because ultimately the governments change, parties change, and times change. The State of India and the affidavit with the Supreme Court are permanent."

The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court not to interfere in the Rohingya issue as it was a policy decision to deport them and that some of them were linked to Pakistani terrorist groups.

As the apex court heard a petition challenging the deportation of Rohingya Muslim refugees to Myanmar, the central government told the apex court that this was an essential executive decision taken in the larger national interest.

The Centre said the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar started in 2012.

--IANS

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