Govt receptive to citizens in distress: V K Singh

The Centre would extend all humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas in India, but as things would get better in their country, nobody would be allowed to stay on our soil, Minister of State

PALAKKAD: The Centre would extend all humanitarian assistance to the Rohingyas in India, but as things would get better in their country, nobody would be allowed to stay on our soil, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said while interacting with special invitees here on Tuesday.Singh said there were two aspects to the issue of refugees. “One is the humanitarian aspect. The second is they will not be granted permission to stay in our country for long.” “There has been an inflow of immigrants to the country since 1971 - from Sri Lanka at the height of the conflict, later the Chakma and now the Rohingyas. Since 1971, the government has been of the  view that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the country, “ he said.
  


On Fr Tom Uzhunnalil

To a question on whether any ransom was paid for the release of Fr Tom Uzhunnalil from Yemen, Singh said the government would not mention any specific case. But the government was receptive to Indian citizens who were in distress abroad and had done all it could do to secure their release, whether in Libya, Afghanistan or any other place. Singh said the government did not believe in paying ransom, but only in goodwill.

  Foreign policy
“The foreign policy followed by the successive governments is the same and the only difference is that it will be tweaked a little. We have reached out to all countries - big or small - and helped raise the stock of India abroad. We could deal with Saudi Arabia and Iran on the same footing and so also with Israel and Palestine. We are not aligned to any force and will pursue a policy which will benefit the country,” Singh said.The minister said each policy was being framed aimed at development and systemic changes would take time to materialise. 

He said violence was the order of the day in all Left-ruled states in the country  as well as globally, be it in Russia or China.  “Those who threaten with words that they would kill someone if  he does not follow their ideology are not different from a terrorist with a gun or a person with a hatchet,” he said.
BJP district president E Krishnadas, state secretary C Krishnakumar, state committee member N Sivarajan and municipal chairperson Prameela Sasidharan  were present.

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