Cong demands govt call all-party meeting on Rohingya issue

New Delhi, Sept 15: The Congress today sought an all party meeting on the issue of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar and said an unanimous decision should be taken in this regard. Talking to reporters, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said the government should call an all-party meeting on this issue so that a policy could be set. Since the issue was of national interest and would have a far reaching effect, a decision must be taken unanimously and only after a meeting with representatives of all the parties. “It is not an issue which can be decided by one party,” Mr Maken said. Yesterday, the Centre went on record in the Supreme Court that Rohingya Muslim refugees posed a danger to India's national security. The government had filed an affidavit after the apex court asked it for a response on the issue. Notably, India had also strongly criticised the observation of UN Human Rights Council chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein over its handling of Rohingya issue. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had said that India was concerned about illegal migrants in particular, with the possibility that they could pose security challenges, so enforcing the laws should not be mistaken for lack of compassion. Mr Rijiju had on September 5 said that Rohingyas were illegal migrants and should be deported. An estimated 40,000 Rohingyas have settled in the country, and 16000 of them have got refugee documentation. UNI