After severe criticism on move to shift Rohingyas to EWS flats, Home Ministry denies giving approval

Netizens came down heavily on the government after the tweet praising the Centre's decision to shift Rohingya refugees to EWS flats.

Terming the government's move as a 'landmark decision', Puri said India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge.

Puri tweeted: "India has always welcomed those who have sought refuge in the country. In a landmark decision all #Rohingya #Refugees will be shifted to EWS flats in Bakkarwala area of Delhi. They will be provided basic amenities, UNHCR IDs & round-the-clock @DelhiPolice protection."

He also said that those people will be disappointed who made a career out of spreading canards on India’s refugee policy deliberately linking it to the CAA.

"Those who made a career out of spreading canards on India’s refugee policy deliberately linking it to #CAA will be disappointed. India respects & follows @UN Refugee Convention 1951 & provides refuge to all, regardless of their race, religion or creed."

Even as the sources in the government made it clear that Rohingya refugees are just being shifted, not given ownership of flats in Delhi, according to an India Today report, the criticism for overlooking the living conditions of the Pakistani Hindu refugees continued to pour in.

Author Shefali Vaidya questioned if the government had similar "humanitarian concerns for Hindu refugees from Pakistan".

Another Twitter user said, "The Rohingyas massacred the Rakhini Hindus."

A Twitter user accused the government of treating Pakistani Hindu refugees with utter neglect. "Meanwhile Pakistani Hindu refugees are living next to a naallah under the signature bridge without any basic facilities or UNHCR IDs or police protection," the post read.

Another said that the government ignored all requests of assistance by some organisations to improve the living conditions of Pakistani Hindu refugees, who some twitteraties claimed have been "left to rot".

Tweeting in Hindi, another user slammed the entire system, which he alleged was rooted in corruption, that facilitated illegal immigrants to enter the country.

The decision to shift Rohingya refugees, who are Myanmar nationals, to flats was taken after a high-level meeting chaired by the chief secretary of Delhi and attended by senior officials of the Delhi government, Delhi Police, and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in the last week of July.

In the high-level meeting, it was emphasised that the Delhi government was paying Rs 7 lakh per month rent for the tents where Rohingyas were shifted in the Madanpur Khadar area following a fire in the camp where they were staying earlier.

While Delhi Police has been instructed to provide security to the premises where the flats are situated, the Delhi government's social welfare department will ensure basic facilities such as fans, three meals, landlines, televisions, and recreational facilities in the new campus.

A Twitter user wrote: "Several Intel reports & HM himself told that Rohingyas r threat to nat'al security, terror!sm breeding ground. Instead of flushing out illegals, its shocking that govt settling them officially. Besides the crime rate (stats proven) it will boost the illegal entries & rehabs too."

All Rohingya refugees need the unique ID of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and their details need to be on record with the government.

After the backlash, the Union Home Ministry issued a statement on Twitter with respect to "news reports in certain sections of media regarding Rohingya illegal foreigners" that  it "has not given any directions to provide EWS flats to Rohingya illegal migrants at Bakkarwala in New Delhi".

However, this explanation failed to silence the netizens as they pointed out that Hardeep Singh Puri was a Cabinet minister and he also tagged the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in his tweet.