BENGALURU: After the mammoth botch-up of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam, one theory floated was that “illegal immigrants” had fanned out to other parts of the country. Karnataka now seems to join a few other states in taking the lead to act on that presumption.
Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai told TNIE on Thursday, “We are not against anybody
who is staying here legally, but people staying here illegally is a matter of concern. We have held a couple of meetings with senior officers and instructed them to ascertain the facts. Once we get the details, we will hold a meeting with Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa regarding the illegal settlers. Thereafter, we will approach the Centre.’’
The Yediyurappa government, which will face bypolls in the coming weeks, has joined the bandwagon of other BJP-ruled states like poll-bound Maharashtra and Haryana, and also Uttar Pradesh, to push for implementation of the NRC. The government says it is “considering” bringing the process, seen as controversial and messy, to the state, with its huge floating population of migrant workers, both high-end and lower down the spectrum.
Asked when the NRC exercise may begin, Bommai said, “We will need some time as there are procedures to be followed. There are Supreme Court directives too. This is also an international issue. If it concerns Rohingyas, then there are guidelines laid down for that too.’’
“There have been instances of illegal immigrants committing crimes and disappearing from the state. For instance, in Bengaluru, there have been reports in the media of crimes like drug running, drunk driving and assault on policemen. There are some staying illegally after expiry of their passports or visas and there are also those who do not have any documents,” he said.
“Many are even said to possess Aadhaar cards. There is still a great deal of work to be done, but we will look into all these issues,” Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.
If the NRC exercise is, in fact, launched, Karnataka will be the first state in the south to do so. Bommai has held two meetings on the issue with senior bureaucrats and officials in the Home ministry. Sources said the process of identification will be the first challenge for the administration as most of the immigrants are spread out across the state and identifying the foreign immigrants as against migrants from Assam, Meghalaya or West Bengal, will be the first hurdle.
There have been reports of Bangladeshi labourers working in plantations in Kodagu, Hassan, Chikkamagalur and Shivamogga who moved from Assam after violence against them broke out there a few years ago.
It may be recalled that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had stressed that the NRC exercise will be conducted across the country and illegal immigrants will be identified and evicted.