Lucknow: Amid the polarised discourse and debate over infiltrators – the latest during the Bihar elections, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a clear “roadmap” for driving them, thereby denying them any direct or indirect role in the country’s democratic and electoral process.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed the District Magistrates (DM) to take swift and stringent action against the infiltrators and illegal immigrants in the state.
According to a government statement, the District Magistrates have been asked to identify the illegal immigrants staying across 75 districts of the state and keep them in detention facilities, until evicted under lawful procedure.
CM Yogi directed District Magistrates that law and order, national security, and social harmony must take precedence over everything, and no illegal activity should be tolerated.
All the district administrations have been directed to identify illegal immigrants residing in their areas and subsequently take action, in accordance with the law.
“The Chief Minister has also instructed the establishment of temporary detention centres in each district to house identified infiltrators. Foreign nationals found living illegally will be accommodated in these centres until the completion of the verification process,” a government release said.
The illegal immigrants will be detained in these centres and then deported to their countries of origin, following established procedures.
The move to stamp out infiltrators and intruders from the state reiterates the Yogi government’s zero tolerance against infiltrators.
In a similar drive earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh police had launched a campaign to “identify and isolate” illegal immigrants suspected of living in the state with false and fake identity cards.
As the Chief Minister’s directions come against the backdrop of the “voter purification” drive by the Election Commission of India, the issue is set to snowball into a major political row, drawing strong protest from the Opposition parties.
(IANS)
