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PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
NEW DELHI, Aug 23: In sharp contrast to the Maharashtra Government's decision to toe the line of the West Bengal Government while deporting alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde told newspersons in Jaipur today, where he is attending the BJP's national executive meeting, that the process of deportations would be resumed after Diwali.
He said most of the deportations made by the State so far had been in accordance with the terms cited in the circular of former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta. The State Government deported only those who were of Bangladeshi origin after proper verification and not Bengalis as alleged, he said.
Munde pointed out that on a rough estimate about 40,000 Bangladeshis resided in Maharashtra at present.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Government, while maintaining it will contest the petition filed in the Calcutta High Court against the deportation order, has agreed to withdraw from contesting bail of the undertrials, Hannan Mollah, CPM MP told NEW DELHI, Aug 23: In sharp contrast to the Maharashtra Government's decision to toe the line of the West Bengal Government while deporting alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde told newspersons in Jaipur today, where he is attending the BJP's national executive meeting, that the process of deportations would be resumed after Diwali.
He said most of the deportations made by the State so far had been in accordance with the terms cited in the circular of former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta. The State Government deported only those who were of Bangladeshi origin after proper verification and not Bengalis as alleged, he said.
Munde pointed out that on a rough estimate about 40,000 Bangladeshis resided in Maharashtra at present.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Government, while maintaining it will contest the petition filed in the Calcutta High Court against the deportation order, has agreed to withdraw from contesting bail of the undertrials, Hannan Mollah, CPM MP toldPTI.
The High Court has already given stay order to petitioners on prima facie evidence of their being Indians, Mollah, who has conducted a survey on the issue, said here.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission has dismissed an `all India Democratic Women's Association' plea against deportation on the ground that it was sub judice, a spokesperson said, adding, ``NHRC would go by the verdict of the court.''
Shedding the earlier defiant stance, Maharashtra Government has now shown interest in discussion with West Bengal Government, Mollah said and added it has also agreed to follow a number of norms including checking the suspects' claims with the West Bengal government before deporting them.
Significantly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has negated any interference in the issue. ``These people are not registered as refugees with UNHCR. Therefore, even if they are Bangladeshis, UNHCR has no role to play,'' officials said. According to UNHCR record, there are presently2,30,000 refugees in India with none of them being Bangladeshi.
Reasoning the softening of stand by the Maharashtra Government, Mollah said, ``if the high court verdict goes in favour of even a single petitioner, the Maharashtra Government would be charged with a constitutional crime.''
The Maharashtra administration has already yielded to a demand, made earlier in a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi by CPM MP Biplab Dasgupta, that the claims of the suspects ``be sent to West Bengal Government for verification.''
In future, if any suspect gives prima facie evidence of being a permanent resident of West Bengal, the Maharashtra Government will contact the West Bengal district administration to check the claims, he said.
The Maharashtra administration has also asserted that no raids will be conducted before 7 am and after 9 pm.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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