Not its first, Prashant Bhushan on Thursday in a writ petition before the apex court has sought relief for the ‘illegally placed' Rohingyas by immediately stopping their deportation from Jammu. Through the interim application referring to the UNHCR directions to issue refugee cards to “refugees” in India, Bhushan on behalf of Rohingyas has sought urgent intervention to release the Rohingya immigrants detained in Jammu.

 

In a not-so-shocking incident, Prashant Bhushan has reportedly written to the Supreme Court to stop the deportation of Rohingyas detained in Jammu. The interim application has been filed by Mohammad Salimullah, as per reports, and has been drawn by advocate Cheryl Dsouza.

 

The writ petition pending in the Supreme Court as of now states that Rohingyas who have often been labeled as illegal immigrants and may be deported by the Indian government under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Foreigners Order 1948 are dealing with the crisis due to the absence of law and order in India. The application also claims that Rohingyas due to their identity as Muslims are being discriminated against by the government of India.

 

Bhushan, in order to side with Rohingyas also went to the extent to state that “India is bound by the guidelines of non-refoulement under the international customary law that prevents a country from sending refugees back to a place where they faced persecution. The principle is mentioned in Article 33 (1) of the United Nations Convention on Status of Refugees, 1951. It referred to an SC ruling wherein the court held that the right to life and personal liberty is available to citizens and non-citizens alike.

 

The principle of non-refoulement has an exception according to which refugee or asylum seekers who have been granted temporary residency can be made liable to expulsion on the ground of threat to national security. However, the application also claimed that the exception didn’t apply to Rohingyas in India. It said that the exception does not provide a free pass to deport refugees back to the country where they face danger.

 

As the government is now identifying illegal immigrants among the Rohingyas living in J&K currently in large numbers, many Rohingyas have been sent to a holding centre under section 3(2)e of the Foreigners Act in absence of valid documents. Upon the authenticity of their nationality, the needful checking will be conducted after which illegally placed Rohingyas will be deported back to Myanmar.

 

 

Meanwhile, Prashant Bhushan, the pretentious messiah of the Rohingyas is although getting enough backlash from people across India for siding with the illegal migrants, it's not the first time when Bhushan has backed an anti-national cause. Having a wide history of going the anti-national way, Bhushan has many times barefacedly insulted the decisions of the apex court as much as that of the Central government's. Hence, Bhushan's big concern for Rohingyas, who might prove to be a threat to the national security, is not-so-shocking even this time.