Delhi LG Orders Police To Initiate Operation Against 'Illegal Immigrants From Bangladesh' Following Appeal By Muslim Leaders

On Tuesday (10 December), the Lieutenant Governor's (LG) Secretariat instructed the Chief Secretary and Police Commissioner of Delhi to initiate a dedicated operation against "illegal immigrants from Bangladesh" over the following two months.

The aim is to identify and take action against infiltrators living in Delhi, a move that has been called for by the city's Muslim community citing the ongoing Bangladesh crisis, as per the secretariat.

The decision was made following a meeting on Saturday with a group of ulemas (clerics) and Muslim leaders from Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin and Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin, who expressed their "deep concerns" to LG Vinai Kumar Saxena.

They raised the issue of attacks on Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh and called for strict measures against individuals from the country who have infiltrated and are living in Delhi, according to a statement from the LG Secretariat.

"… if Bangladesh continues to mistreat my Hindu brothers — who are minorities there — then the government of India should take strict action against ‘illegal’ Bangladeshi immigrants," said one of the representatives.

"...It is my duty to speak up for my brothers in Bangladesh. If this continues, the illegal immigrants in India must be evicted,” the representative from the delegation was quoted by Indian Express.

The Secretariat reported that the delegation demanded that "illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators" should not be provided with rented housing or jobs by any institution. They also insisted that these infiltrators' children should be denied school admission.

The delegation called for the removal of these infiltrators from roads, footpaths, parks, and other government lands that they have "forcefully encroached." They also requested the revocation of unlawfully obtained identity documents like Aadhaar Cards and Voter IDs.