The Narendra Modi government reportedly has evidence of links between Rohingya people and Pakistan-based terror groups.
On Monday, the Centre told the Supreme Court that Rohingya refugees were a threat to national security of India and that "many of the Rohingya refugees" are suspect of links with Pakistan's ISI, the Islamic State (ISIS) group and other extremist outfits targeting India.
The Rohingya people are stateless Indo-Aryan people from Rakhine state, Myanmar and are categorised as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. Around 40,000 Rohingyas have settled in India.
Ever since the latest flare-up of violence against the community in Myanmar on August 23, more than 3 lakh Rohingyas have fled the state, pouring into nearby countries like Bangladesh seeking refuge.
A confidential report lists incidents to establish association between the Rohingyas and terrorist organisations in Pakistan and others global groups like Al-Qaida, according to DNA.
The news daily report also stated sources as saying that Pakistan's deep state had an interest in keeping Rakhine province on the boil to foil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Act East Policy.
The confidential dossier also mentions an IED blast that took place on May 4 at Buthidaung Township in Rakhine, Myanmar. The investigation into the case had revealed that two of the four people killed while assembling the explosive were Pakistani nationals and the remaining two were local Rohingyas.
The Pakistani nationals of Rohingya origin were identified as Abdul Rahim and Anarthullah, who had returned to Rakhine after spending 20 years away in the Af-Pak region.
"The incident shows how deep Pakistan-based terror groups have taken roots in the region," intelligence sources told DNA.
The Union Home Ministry, in an affidavit on Monday, had told the SC that the influx of the Rohingyas in India began in 2012-13 and it has been noted that some of these illegal immigrants are involved in criminal activities, including illegally obtaining Indian identification documents and fake currency.
"Illegal influx of Rohingya, in significant numbers, started into India (sic) since 2012-13, and the central government has contemporaneous inputs from security agencies and other authentic material indicating linkages of some of the unauthorised Rohingya immigrants with Pakistan-based terror organisations and similar organisations operating in other countries," the ministry said in a 15-page affidavit.
The Centre added that it has found that "many of the Rohingya figure in suspected sinister designs of ISI/IS and other extremist groups who want to achieve their ulterior motives in India, including that of flaring up communal and sectarian violence in sensitive areas".
The top court is set to hear petitions on October 3 opposing the Centre's move to deport the Rohingya. The Modi government has said that it will give intelligence inputs and other related documents in a sealed cover to a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud on the day of the hearing.
"(The) More disturbing part is that there is an organised influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar through agents and touts facilitating (movement of) illegal immigrant Rohingya into India via Benapole-Haridaspur (West Bengal), Hilli (WB) and Sonamora (Tripura). The situation is seriously harming the national security," the affidavit said.
"India is already saddled with a very serious problem of illegal migrants and is attempting to address this situation in the larger interest of the nation and keeping the national resources of the country, requirements of India's own population, national security concerns and several other facts in consideration," it said.
Reports state that there is an impressive line-up of lawyers' to fight for the Rohingya migrants in the case including Fali S Nariman, Kapil Sibal, Rajeev Dhavan, Ashwani Kumar, Colin Gonsalves and Prashant Bhushan.
Bhushan was reportedly the first to file a petition on behalf of two Rohingya Muslims opposing the Centre's decision to deport illegal migrants. He had cited the international 'nonrefoulement convention' to plead for a stay.
