Karnataka govt: No housing, benefits for illegal Bangladeshis; deportation if found, says home minister | Bengaluru News

BENGALURU: Home minister G Parameshwara Wednesday said the Karnataka govt will not provide alternative housing or any other facilities to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants if they are identified during police verification, and that such people will be deported.He was responding to BJP’s allegations that the people displaced during the Kogilu Layout demolition drive were illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Parameshwara advised the opposition party against making “passing comments” and said it is free to protest if it has objections.“The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will prepare a list of people who lost shelters in the Kogilu Layout demolition drive. Police will verify the list and the background of each person to determine their origin, how long they have been in Bengaluru, and their period of stay at the site,” he said.He added that if any illegal Bangladeshi immigrants are found, police will secure them and deport them to their country. Those involved in criminal activities will be arrested. “The govt will not provide alternative housing or any other benefits to Bangladeshi nationals if found,” he said.Parameshwara said the opposition leader in the legislative assembly, R Ashoka, a former home minister who is aware of the legal procedures, is making such comments for political reasons.He said the identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is an ongoing process across the state. Police have directed coffee estate owners to verify the background of their labourers and submit details to the jurisdictional police stations, and police teams periodically visit coffee estates to check for Bangladeshi nationals.Ashoka Wednesday accused the Congress govt of creating ‘mini Bangladesh’ in the state due to its appeasement politics. After visiting Kogilu Layout, near Yelahanka, Ashoka alleged that CM Siddaramaiah is encouraging large-scale encroachment and illegal settlements. Ashoka said Google Maps showed no houses in the area a year ago, indicating that the settlements came up only in the last six months, and questioned how electricity connections were provided so quickly.“The govt led by Siddaramaiah is creating mini Bangladeshis in Karnataka. After fooling Kannadigas for so long, they are now building a mini Bangladesh in the state,” he said.