Delhi Police launches drive to identify illegal Bangladeshi immigrants

Delhi Police on Wednesday launched a drive for the identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the national capital, a day after the LG Secretariat ordered a crackdown on such persons.

"The drive was conducted at various parts of Delhi including Kalindi Kunj, Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar areas. The local police officers conducted door-to-door verifications where they checked their Aadhaar cards and voter IDs," a police officer said.

"Some of the residents were identified as suspects. They may be sent to the detention centre after the completion of legal process," the officer said.

The Delhi LG Secretariat on Tuesday directed the chief secretary and police commissioner of Delhi to launch a two-month special drive to identify and take strict action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in the national capital.

 

Another police officer said cases may be registered if the immigrants are found to be staying illegally or involved in any illegal activity.

Delhi has 15 police districts and the directions were issued to all the district heads to conduct the drive for two months, the officer said.

The move comes after a delegation of ulemas (clerics) and Muslim leaders from Hazrat Nizamuddin met LG VK Saxena on Saturday and expressed concern over the treatment of minority communities in Bangladesh and urged stringent action against infiltrators in the city, the LG Office said in a note.

"The delegation highlighted that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to rent houses or secure employment and called for the immediate cancellation of government documents such as Aadhaar and voter IDs acquired fraudulently," the note said.

The LG Secretariat directed the chief secretary to provide a time-bound response with submission of weekly progress reports.

The developments come as the issue of illegal immigrants gains traction in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections. The BJP recently accused AAP of facilitating the inclusion of illegal immigrants in the voters list during its tenure.