Centre has asked Maha govt to take legal action against illegal immigrants: Ex-Shiv Sena MP
Mumbai, Jan 22 (IANS) Former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said on Wednesday that the Union Home Ministry has ordered the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and other relevant agencies of Maharashtra to take immediate and appropriate legal action against the illegal immigrants entering the state from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Shewale said that he had approached the Union Home Minister seeking strict action against illegal Bangladeshi and Myanmar immigrants.
“The Union Home Ministry’s directive is likely to give impetus to the action against immigrants against the backdrop of attack on actor Saif Ali Khan by Bangladeshi immigrants,” said Shewale.
Former MP Rahul Shewale, in a letter written to Home Minister Amit Shah on November 28, 2024, mentioned a survey conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on “infiltrators”.
Shewale wrote in his letter that according to a survey conducted by TISS, the number of infiltrators from Bangladesh and Myanmar is increasing rapidly in Mumbai. This has led to a breakdown in law and order in many places and has led to serious social and economic problems. Some politicians are using such infiltrators as a ‘vote bank’. These people who have come to India illegally are also seen to be affecting the employment of locals.
Shewale said he had drawn the Union Home Ministry’s attention to the serious problems caused by infiltrators.
“According to the 1961 census, the Hindu population in Mumbai was 88 per cent. In the 2011 census, the Hindu population fell to 66 per cent. This percentage will reach 54 per cent by 2051,” he added while expressing fear about the reduction in the Hindu population in the metropolis.
Shewale alleged that some unregistered illegal social organisations are providing logistics to these infiltrators seeking action against them also.
He referred to the study made by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in 2024 saying that the number of illegal immigrants in Mumbai has been steadily increasing with a significant proportion coming from Bangladesh and Myanmar.
The report also indicated that certain political groups may be exploiting the undocumented immigrants as a voting bloc thus jeopardising the integrity of the electoral process.
“This manipulation not only raises concerns about the fairness of our elections but also about the broader impact on the city’s social and political environment,” he said.
Shewale further quoting the TISS study said that it suggests that these immigrants are filling low-skilled jobs which has led to pay suppression and growing dissatisfaction among the local workforce.
“These trends along with the claims of voter registration manipulation, are contributing to a sense of insecurity and frustration among Mumbai’s native population, particularly the Hindu communities,” he said.
He made a strong case for the implementation of preventive measures to curb the influx of illegal immigrants and halt practices that encourage voter manipulation, economic exploitation and communal tensions.
–IANS
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