Pranab slams Rajasthan govt on Bangladeshi migrant issue

Express News Service Posted: Jun 16, 2008 at 0228 hrs
Kolkata, June 15 In the wake of Rajasthan government’s bid for deporting Bangladeshi immigrants back to their country, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday came out in support of them saying all those who come from Bangladesh are not necessarily infiltrators.

“It is a global phenomenon. People go from smaller countries migrate to bigger neighbouring countries in search of livelihood,” Mukherjee said at a seminar on “Terrorism and Justice” organised by the All India Milli Council at St Xaviers’ College auditorium.

“If there is any attempt to migrate illegally, the government rounds up the offenders and sends them back to their countries,” he said.

He also slammed the Rajasthan government and said that Bengali-speaking Muslims were being harassed there. CPM MP Hannan Mollah has already written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia requesting her to see that no Bengali-speaking Muslims face harassment in her state.

Mukherjee also said the Centre was planning to set up a commission to deal with the issue of illegal immigration.

He also expressed his dissatisfaction for usage of terms like “Islamic terrorism.”