Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionary Indresh Kumar today (14 September) said Islamic nations should come forward to take in the Rohingya and offer them citizenship. He argued that Rohingya Muslims were historically not Indian and thus the country did not need to take them in. In addition, India already had a high population density, he said.

The Government of India drew criticism from the United Nations (UN) for its response to the Rohingya refugee crisis. UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein flayed any attempts by India to deport the immigrants to Myanmar.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju had earlier said the Rohingya are "illegal immigrants" and stand to be deported. He added that India had absorbed the maximum number of refugees in the world.

The government had on 9 August told Parliament that more than 14,000 Rohingya, registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, were presently staying in India. However, sources state that around 40,000 Rohingya are illegally staying in the country, mostly in Jammu, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, the National Capital Region and Rajasthan. (PTI)

Also Read: We Can Let Some Rohingyas Stay, But Terms And Conditions Need To Apply