The Yogi government’s move to check illegal immigrants in Uttar Pradesh, by initiating passport verification in Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar districts, has raked up a storm.
The verification move is yet to be initiated properly, but it has attracted widespread condemnation. Both districts have a sizeable Muslim population; in the past, terrorists supported by Pakistan and Bangladesh have been nabbed from the area. The move has taken on sensitive proportions because Darul Uloom Deoband, an Islamic school, is situated in Saharanpur. The school was founded in 1866, with more than 7,000 students. Darul Uloom Deoband is a very respected institution among the Muslim community.
Minority community in Muzaffarnagar accounts for about 40 per cent of the total population of the district. And Saharanpur has a minority population of around 41 per cent.
According to DIG (Deputy Inspector General) of Saharanpur police, K.S. Emmanuel, re-verification of passports will be done; to assist the local police, LIU (local intelligence units) will be entrusted with the task of verification. Passport verification of foreign students is also likely to take place.
The move by the district police is being viewed as targeting members of the Muslim community. SP leader Juhi Singh condemned the move.
The UP police had turned on the heat in these two districts because UP-ATS (Anti Terror Squad) had nabbed two Bangladeshi terrorists, whose passports were obtained via the Deoband address, three months before.
Sunni Muslim cleric Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), too questioned the move of the UP police. According to him, it smacked of a move against the minority community. However, according to Emmanuel, verification will take place in the entire Saharanpur range. The police is acting on specific information regarding terror modules in the area.
Earlier, the ATS sleuths had raided the hideout of one Faizan Ahamed in Saharanpur and had recovered some incriminating documents. Faizan is said to be a vital recruiter for the IS.
The Yogi government has also decided to initiate action against illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in various parts of the state. All district magistrates have been asked to identify and initiate actions against them; Principal Secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar issued a letter in this regard. The LIU officials have been asked to prepare a list of illegal residents.
