Union Minister Giriraj Singh has launched a sharp attack on Bareilly’s Maulana Tauqeer Raza following his controversial remarks about Muslims protesting against the Waqf Bill 2024 by surrounding Delhi. Singh, in a scathing statement, said that the country’s misfortune lies in not having sent all Muslims to Pakistan during the time of independence, suggesting that Tauqeer Raza “would not have been born” under those circumstances.
“Tauqeer Raza would not have been born today, if all Muslims had been sent to Pakistan by the politicians at the time of independence. He criticizes the RSS and spreads hatred in India for appeasement. Does he think that ‘Bharat ke Hindu Chudiyaan phen kar baithe hai’ (Hindus in India are sitting idle while being criticized)? This cannot be tolerated,” Singh remarked.
The controversy stems from Maulana Tauqeer Raza’s comments that Muslims would take to the streets in opposition to the Waqf Bill 2024. Giriraj Singh condemned the statement, accusing Raza of inciting religious tensions for political gain. He further criticized the pattern of communal appeasement in Indian politics, arguing that it has led to divisions within the country.
In a separate development, Singh expressed concerns about the increasing number of Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators settling in various regions of India, particularly in places like Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. He accused the Popular Front of India (PFI) of organizing the infiltration and settlement of these illegal immigrants and called for urgent action by state governments.
“There should be an investigation into this by state governments, and identification cards should be issued similar to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process,” Singh said, emphasizing that the issue needs to be tackled with the same seriousness as Assam’s NRC.
Singh also urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to initiate the NRC process from Himachal Pradesh, stating, “I believe that NRC is needed across the entire country, including Himachal, otherwise, in more than 200 districts, Indians will become minorities.”
The issue of illegal immigrants gained further traction after Himachal Pradesh’s Minister of Rural Development, Anirudh Singh, made a serious revelation in the state Assembly. According to the minister, illegal immigrants, possibly Rohingyas and Bangladeshis, were rapidly settling in various areas, leading to growing tension due to the unchecked construction work.
Anirudh Singh mentioned that only 190 vendors were given official certificates by the Urban Ministry, but there are now 1,900 vendors in the area, raising concerns about the true identity and origin of these individuals. Giriraj Singh, referring to Anirudh Singh’s statements, said, “He was saying they were Bangladeshis, and he even recognized two of them.”
As the debate over illegal immigrants intensifies, Giriraj Singh’s call for the nationwide implementation of NRC reflects a growing demand for stricter immigration laws and regulations, especially in regions like Himachal Pradesh, where the issue has now reached the state Assembly.
The statements from both Giriraj Singh and Anirudh Singh have put the focus back on the need for stringent measures to address illegal immigration and ensure the safety and stability of regions affected by the influx of undocumented individuals.