Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj Hits Back at BJP Over Illegal Immigration Allegations

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 28th Jan. AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, who is contesting from the Greater Kailash assembly seat, on Tuesday countered the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) allegations regarding illegal immigration in the national capital.

Responding to the BJP’s criticism, Bhardwaj shifted the responsibility onto the BJP-led central government as well as the state governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He questioned their role in allegedly allowing Bangladeshi immigrants to enter the country.

“If we are to be blamed for whoever [Bangladeshi illegal immigrants] have come to Delhi, they all must have come in the last 10 years as we are in power for only the last 10 years. It’s the BJP government at the Centre, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh to be blamed—why did they allow them to enter?” Bhardwaj said during his campaign.

The exchange comes as Delhi prepares for its assembly elections on February 5, with results set to be announced on February 8. The battle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP is intensifying, with illegal immigration emerging as a key issue.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently launched a blistering attack on AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal, accusing his government of enabling Bangladeshi infiltrators to obtain Aadhaar cards. Adityanath alleged, “Bangladeshi infiltrators are being provided Aadhaar cards through Aadhaar-making machines in the houses of AAP leaders.”

BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri echoed these allegations, claiming that the AAP government has facilitated the issuance of ration cards and Aadhaar cards for Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi immigrants. Bidhuri further promised that if the BJP forms the government in Delhi, it would establish detention centres for “Rohingyas and infiltrators” within 30 days.

AAP leaders have dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and accused the BJP of diverting attention from its own shortcomings. Bhardwaj’s remarks aimed to highlight what he described as the failure of BJP-led states and the central government in addressing border security and immigration concerns.

As part of its campaign, the BJP has made national security a central theme, vowing to take strict action against illegal immigrants if elected. The promise of detention centres for Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators has been reiterated by several BJP leaders, including Bidhuri.

With the elections just days away, the issue of illegal immigration has become a flashpoint in the political discourse in Delhi. The ruling AAP, which is seeking a third term, is facing stiff competition from the BJP, which is determined to end its three-decade-long wait for power in the national capital.

As the rhetoric intensifies, the political battle in Delhi is shaping up to be one of the most contentious and closely watched contests in recent years.