SC to hear PIL on Rohingyas, Bangladeshis' deportation in four weeks

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear after four weeks a PIL seeking identification and deportation of all illegal immigrants and infiltrators, including Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde took note of the submission of lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay that the illegal Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants "were taking away bread and butter of citizens here".

"List it (PIL) for hearing after four weeks," the bench, which also included justices Sanjiv Khanna and Surya Kant, said.

In his plea, Upadhyay has favoured the Centre's stand to identify and deport to Myanmar around 40,000 illegal Rohingya Muslims staying in India.

The plea has sought a direction to the Centre and the state governments to identify, detain and deport all illegal immigrants and infiltrators.

"The large-scale illegal migrants, particularly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have not only threatened the demographic structure of bordering districts but have seriously impaired the security and national integration, particularly in the present circumstances," the plea stated.

It alleged there was an organised influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar through agents and touts who facilitate Rohingyas' entry into India via Benapole-Haridaspur and Hilli (West Bengal), Sonamora (Tripura), Kolkata and Guwahati.

"This situation is seriously harming the national security of the country," it said.