Following the Centre’s submission to the Supreme Court that Rohingyas living in India pose a threat to the national security and some of them had militant background, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that all Rohingyas are not terrorists. “The Centre has asked our government to make a list of Rohingyas (who have crossed the border and entered into the state) for deportation. I feel that all commoners are not terrorists. There might be some terrorists in that community who should be considered as terrorists. But they must not be confused with commoners. There is a difference between them,” Banerjee said at state secretariat (Nabanna) on Monday. Responding to a plea against deportation of Rohingyas from India, the Centre on Monday stated that the refugees from Myanmar posed threats to national security. The central government also pointed out that there were at least 40,000 Rohingyas living in India and that some also had a militant background. Mamata Banerjee government, however, adopted a different stand on Rohingyas which was not in accordance with the Centre’s. “There are some good people and some bad people in every community. We cannot compromise with any terrorist activities. If there are any terrorist then the government will take action against them. But the commoner must not suffer. If the commoner suffers then the humanity suffers,” Banerjee added.
