Varun Gandhi Calls for Empathy Towards Rohingyas, Draws Govt Wrath

MoS Home Hansraj Ahir slammed Gandhi, saying those with the national interest in mind wouldn’t make such statements.

Feroze Varun Gandhi.

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Varun Gandhi)

Opposing his party’s larger stand on the deportation of Rohingyas, BJP MP Varun Gandhi, in an article for Hindi daily Navbharat Times wrote that India must consider giving asylum to the Rohingyas after a proper vetting process of each refugee.

His statement drew the ire of the government, with MoS Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir criticising Gandhi, saying those who have national interest in mind should not make such statements.

"Jo desh ke hith mein sochenga woh is tarah ke bayan nahi dega (Anyone who has the national interest in mind, wouldn't make such statements)," Ahir told the media.

According to News 18, Gandhi in his article had said:

India should formulate a national refugee policy to help distinguish between those fleeing persecution and those fleeing poverty.

After Ahir's comments, Varun said his recent piece focused primarily on defining India's asylum policy, with clear demarcations on how "we would accept refugees".

In a series of tweets he said:

The BJP, in its national executive on Monday, adopted a resolution supporting the government's stand on the Rohingya issue, saying it fulfilled its responsibilities by providing humanitarian relief to Bangladesh for Rohingya refugees while ensuring that internal security was not compromised for its 125 crore citizens.

Terming the Rohingya refugees “illegal immigrants”, the government recently told the Supreme Court that some of them were part of a "sinister" design of Pakistan's ISI and terror groups such as ISIS, whose presence in the country will pose a "serious" national security threat.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh last week had said Rohingyas were not refugees who have applied for asylum in India but illegal immigrants who "will be deported".

(with inputs from PTI)