Centre tells top court not to intervene in Rohingya issue

New Delhi: Making it clear that India cannot be allowed to become the refugee capital of the world, the Centre on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court not to intervene in the executive decision on deportation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.

Additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta made this submission before a three-judge bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud hearing a batch of petitions seeking to restrain India from deporting 40,000 Rohingyas to Myanmar.

Counsel Prashant Bhushan filed a fresh application for a direction to permit the remaining Rohingya refugees to cross over the border and enter India as the Border Security Force is thwarting their entry. The court asked the Centre to file its response on this application.

At the outset, the ASG said, “We do not want India to become the refugee capital of the world. If we allow people from every other country will flood our country.

The government is in diplomatic talks and it must be allowed to take a decision. There was no contingency as of now and this was not a matter for the court to intervene. This is not a matter in which we can show any leniency.”

Counsel Prashant Bhushan told the court that the remaining 20 per cent of the Rohingya refugees too should be allowed to enter India.