Above: Rohingya Muslims (file picture) 

The Centre on Friday (March 16) told the Supreme Court that it can’t force that Rohingya Muslims be allowed to come to India.

Clarifying further its stand on Rohingya Muslims, the Centre said in an affidavit that that those who have valid travel certificate can come to India only. The Centre also said that if Rohingya Muslims come to India without valid certificate then this will be against national interest and it is a matter related to internal and external security of the country.

The apex court was also informed by the Centre that India have no policy to issue identity cards to refugees. “Rohingya Muslim refugees cannot be compared to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. India has a bilateral treaty with Sri Lanka and so Tamil refugees were allowed to come to India. As far as Myanmar is concerned, there is no bilateral treaty with them,” the Centre said in the affidavit.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition opposing the Centre’s decision to send back Rohingya Muslims back to Myanmar.

The case will be heard on March 19.

In the earlier hearings, the government had said in the Supreme Court that Rohingya Muslims’ activities are doubtful, the evidence is with the intelligence agencies, and their ties are linked to international fundamentalist terrorist organizations, and they have allowed them to stay in India. If there is a threat to the country, then it would be advisable to send these refugees back to Myanmar.

Read the affidavit filed by Centre here.

—India Legal Bureau