Raje claims on Bangla migrants false, show her weakness: Patil

Speaking to The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta on NDTV8217;s Walk The Talk programme, Raje had said that in response to the state Government8217;s letter to the Centre regarding the deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants last June, the Union Home Ministry had written that Bangladeshis should be rounded up and put in a 8220;transit camp8221;.

Raje said that the Centre8217;s suggestion was 8220;something like8221; Guantanamo Bay, the detention camp where the US put its terror suspects from around the world.

The Union Home Minister said that Raje was making one statement after another. 8220;Why she is making such statements, I do not know,8221; he said, adding 8220;we are not happy with her behaviour8221;. 8220;Our country is not a monarchy. It is a democracy,8221; Patil said.

Sources in the Rajasthan Government, however, told The Indian Express that the suggestion for putting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in such camps had come at two meetings presided over by the Union Home Secretary 8212; on 21 January, 2007, and 25 April, 2007. The Principal Secretary, Home, Rajasthan, had participated in these meetings, minutes of which are available with the state Government.

The minutes reportedly clearly indicate that states were told to set up 8220;detention centres8221; and put all illegal Bangladeshi immigrants there. States were to bear the expenses of the camps, but it was not specified what they were to do with the immigrants after putting them in camps, according to sources.

However, if Patil denied Raje8217;s claims, the Congress too accused her of 8220;politicising8221; last week8217;s serial blasts in Jaipur. 8220;I feel that the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, instead of applying healing touch to the people, is politicising the blasts for electoral gains,8221; AICC spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters on Monday.

At the same time, she admitted that she had no knowledge of the correspondence between Rajasthan and the Union Home Ministry.

The Congress spokesperson was obviously ill at ease justifying the Centre8217;s recommendation. 8220;The law of the land should apply. Whatever is there in the Foreigners8217; Act should apply in case of illegal immigrants. But what the Chief Minister said may further aggravate the situation and send a wrong message of communal politics,8221; said Natarajan, referring to the state Government8217;s decision to identify and deport the immigrants in 30 days.

As for transit camps, she said it was something that the Government had to see. 8220;Certainly no country will encourage illegal immigrants, but the context, background also have to be seen,8221; said the AICC spokesperson.

According to Raje, there are around 20,000 Bangladeshi immigrants in the state, including 10,000 in Jaipur alone. Bangladeshi terror outfit HuJI is the prime suspect in the serial blasts in Jaipur.