While nation debates CAA-NRC, Bengaluru Police question illegal migrants in slums near Bellandur lake

On Sunday, Bengaluru Police inspected slums and questioned illegal migrants, who are suspected to be living near Bellandur lake. Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali tweeted that a few illegal immigrants from Bangladesh  were carrying out illegal activities in sheds where they had taken shelter in Kariyammana Agrahara.   

Bengaluru: Undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants living in Kariyammana Agrahara near Bellandur lake were in for a shock on Sunday when Bengaluru Police and Mahadevapura corporators nabbed those who were suspected to be living there illegally.  

Police inspected the spot and enquired about the dwellers’ antecedents. A raid was conducted there earlier too but residents had either Aadhaar card or voter ID or both.

According to a report on a daily, a police officer said, “Many of them claim to be from West Bengal or Assam. We are in a fix. About 70% of these sheds are on private land and many work for builders or developers as construction labourers. Some segregate waste dumped in the area. The women work as domestic helps in neighbouring apartments.”

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Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali tweeted that a few illegal immigrants from Bangladesh  were carrying out illegal activities in sheds where they had taken shelter in Kariyammana Agrahara. 

Limbavali wrote, “Few people have taken shelter under illegally constructed sheds located in Kariyammana Agrahara of Bellanduru which is within the jurisdiction of our Mahadevapura Assembly constituency.”

“Illegal activities are taking place in those sheds and the environment is spoiled without cleanliness, hence the area is a site of illegal activity. This was brought to my notice through social media. The concerned authorities are instructed to take action against it.

Officials are reviewing and taking action. Residents from other areas have settled here, some of them are suspected to be illegal immigrants of Bangladesh,” he further tweeted. 

While the police questioned illegal immigrants in Bellandur, Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao exclusively spoke to Asianet Newsable and said that it is an imaginary fear that people will be displaced in the name CAA and NRC.  

“On the ground, neither the central nor the state government has asked us to do anything to tackle the situation going against Citizenship Amendment Act. It’s only an imaginary fear that people are going to be displaced and sent to detention centres. The protests are happening over unfounded figures. The chief minister has himself clarified to many minority community leaders that no one needs to fear the unfounded figures,” Bhaskar Rao said. 

This comes at a time when the nation has been debating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).