Treat Rohingyas as refugees not Muslims: Asaduddin Owaisi

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi, late on Thursday night, accused the Centre of hypocrisy with regard to its refugee policy . He said that the BJP government should not look at the Rohingya crisis through a communal prism.

Addressing a Haalaat-eHaazira public meeting in Chanchalguda, Asad said that the Rohingya Muslim refugees are fleeing for their lives and the situation in Myanmar is a humanitarian crisis. He underscored that these refugees are not terrorists.

“Don't look at them as Muslims. They are refugees,“ he said, even as he quoted a string of Supreme Court judgments that stressed that even those who are not Indian citizens have the right to life and equality.Asad criticised minister of state Kiren Rijiju, who previously stated that the Rohingya refugees were illegally staying in India and would be deported, for staying mum on the decision to grant Indian citizenship to Chakmas.

He lashed out at the Centre for



adopting different yardsticks for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees and Tibetan refugees on the one hand and Rohingya refuge es on the other hand.

He expressed his regret that it took so long ­ about a month ­ for the Indian government to send aid to the Rohingyas. “The Bangladesh ambassador met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that there are three lakh refugees at the Bangladesh border. If you are a regional power, then you will have to deal with the situation,“ Asad said.

Criticising Modi, he said, “When Tasleema Nasreen can be your sister, why cannot a Rohingya refugee be your brother?“ Asad also raised concerns over the fate of India's efforts to secure a seat at the UN Security Council.“If you want a seat in the Security Council, then should this be your attitude? You want to throw them (Rohingya refugees) out?

Do you think that this will secure India a seat on the Security Council?“ he questioned.