We've reasons to believe HM, rather than some stray tweet

JITENDRA TAUNTS OMAR

JAMMU: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today strongly rebutted National Conference leader Omar Abdullah's contention that Rohingya threat in Jammu and Kashmir was a post-2014 development, saying the refugees had started settling in the state much earlier when the NC-Congress were in power. "We have every reason to trust the Home Minister of India rather than pay attention to some stray tweet", Dr Singh said in New Delhi answering media queries about the NC leader's comment, though without naming him. After Mr Rajnath Singh had spoken about the issues of Rohingyas, there was absolutely nothing left to add to it, he added. Shortly after the Centre in its affidavit to the Supreme Court today described the Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanamar as " illegal immigrants" whose continuous stay had "serious national security ramifications", Mr Abdullah had tweeted,'' this threat, at least in J&K, is a post 2014 development. No such intelligence reports ever came up for discussion in Unified HQ meeting. When asked about his comment, Dr Singh said that If the chronology of events was to be traced, this phenomenon began nearly a decade ago when these illegal foreigners, mostly Rohingyas, started pouring into Jammu & Kashmir and began to settle down mostly in and around the suburbs of Jammu. At that point and time, he said, the State was ruled by a Congress-National Conference coalition government, and there was a strong school of opinion which is convinced that the two ruling parties at that time conveniently facilitated the illegal settlement of these Rohingyas, in the hope that these illegal settlers would obtain voter cards and thus, change the demographic profile of vote composition to the advantage of the then ruling parties. Dr Singh said, the Home Ministry was privy to the inputs and intelligence reports and therefore, deserved to be trusted for the decision taken by it. To that extent, he said, the call taken by the Union Home Ministry was not only the most appropriate, but also to the best interest of the nation and India.