Under Narendra Modi’s rule, India has become a hub of religious prejudice and ethnic discrimination against minorities. The Modi government is actively deporting Bengali-speaking Muslim migrants based on religious bias. Despite possessing identification documents and Indian passports, Bengali Muslims are being declared foreigners and ordered into detention.
According to the Indian newspaper The Wire, 74 Bengali-speaking Muslim migrant workers have been detained in Haryana under the accusation of being illegal immigrants. Acting on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directives, dozens of Muslims were taken into custody by police without any clear legal basis.
The report states that among the detainees, 11 are from West Bengal and 63 from Assam. Over 200 people are currently confined under inhumane conditions in a center in Haryana, while the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed states to establish detention centers at the district level.
According to The Wire, human rights activists claim that these so-called holding centers are, in fact, “detention camps.” A woman detainee expressed that they are being targeted solely because they speak Bengali.
A lawyer cited in the report stated that under the Ministry of Home Affairs, police can detain anyone suspected of illegality for up to 30 days. Legal experts argue that, constitutionally, detaining someone without legal grounds or access to legal counsel is unlawful.
All those detained are Bengali-speaking Muslims from either West Bengal or Assam, according to legal experts.
The BJP is reportedly using the “illegal immigrants” label as a tool against Muslims. The Modi government is laying the groundwork for nationwide arrests and measures similar to the NRC. Human rights activists have termed the arrests without legal orders a severe violation of human rights.
