Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that stopping those who try to enter the country through illegal means was seen as a violation of human rights by some. “Bangladeshi ghuspaithiye (intruders)” or “Rohingya,” no one had been treated inhumanly in India, he said.
A huge hue and cry about human rights violations was made whenever strong action was taken against “anti-social and anti-India” elements in the country, he said.
Rohingya issue
On September 28, the Supreme Court dismissed a writ petition filed by historian Romila Thapar and four others seeking a Supreme Court–monitored special investigation team (SIT) probe into the allegations against five arrested activists — poet Vara Vara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Gautam Navlakha.
Mr. Singh was speaking at the 25th Foundation Day function of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Last year, the rights body had issued a notice to the Centre on its plan to deport the Rohingya. NHRC also became a party in an ongoing case of deportation of Rohingya that was being heard in the apex court.
“I read in newspapers, and some delegations have also met us on this... if someone is entering the country through illegal means and they are stopped, even this is termed a human rights violation... Recently, seven Rohingya were repatriated. Which country considers stopping intruders a human rights violation?” Mr. Singh said.
Women’s rights
He said “women’s rights” constitute a large part of human rights. “When we talk about human rights, we should not forget that a major part of this is also women’s rights. We are concerned about ways to provide a safe environment for women and children and government has taken various steps for this,” Mr. Singh said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief guest at the function, said the triple talaq legislation was part of the government’s efforts to provide justice to the Muslim women and Parliament would pass the law soon.
He said the Emergency [imposed in 1975] was a blot on the country’s human rights record, when lakhs were put behind bars.
