Kashmiri top official says Rohingya ‘targeted for no reason’

Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir’s top elected official, Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday criticized an alleged eviction drive targeting Rohingya refugees in the region, saying they were being “singled out without cause” despite having lived there for years.

Abdullah, speaking to reporters in Srinagar, said people who entered India illegally from Bangladesh should face legal action, but Rohingyas who fled persecution in Myanmar were a “separate” case.

Indian authorities on Monday flew at least 150 Bangladeshi immigrants from Kashmir to the Indian state of West Bengal, which borders Bangladesh, saying they were staying illegally in the region.

Indian officials said a survey was conducted across the Kashmir region, during which around 600 Bangladeshi nationals were found to be allegedly staying there illegally.

“Those who entered from Bangladesh without permission - that is a separate issue. But the Rohingyas are being singled out without cause. They were driven out of their country (Myanmar), and we gave them shelter,” Abdullah said.

Government data shows some 7,656 Rohingyas were living in Jammu and Kashmir, including 6,737 in the Jammu division and 919 in the Kashmir Valley.

The eviction drive has intensified, with landlords reportedly ordered to remove Rohingya tenants or face criminal cases.

“At least 18 first information reports by local police have been registered against people accused of failing to report tenants to authorities,” Indian newspaper Deccan Chronicle reported Tuesday.

Human rights groups estimate that about 1,800 Rohingyas have been rendered homeless.

Many families say they have lived in Jammu for 15 to 20 years, working as laborers and holding UNHCR documents.

Abdullah said the federal government was directing the campaign, while Jammu and Kashmir police were conducting verification and eviction drives.

“They must not be treated like animals. They are human beings. You cannot let them starve or freeze,” he said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged a “political conspiracy” behind their settlement in Jammu, while the opposition Congress party has called for adherence to international refugee norms.

The Rohingyas are a stateless Muslim minority from Myanmar who have faced decades of discrimination and displacement. More than 700,000 fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State following an outbreak of violence in August 2017, with most seeking refuge in Bangladesh.