A police-led drive to identify illegal immigrants enters its second week in Guragaon, leading to the detention and document verification of over 250 people, many of whom are Bengali-speaking workers. Several migrant families, particularly from West Bengal and Assam, say they are living in fear amid what they claim is selective targeting, reported PTI.
Fear Grips Gurugram As Police Cracks Down On 'Illegal Immigrants'; Bengali-Speaking Workers Feel Targeted
Sanitation workers stay off duty amid detentions and document checks. Police say they are only verifying identity as per Home Ministry guidelines, not targeting any group.
According to the police, four holding areas have been created in different zones of Gurugram, including community centres in Badshahpur, Sector 10A, Sector 40, and Sector 1 in Manesar where those detained are being kept until their documents are verified.
The ongoing drive has reportedly disrupted sanitation services across the city. With many sanitation workers abstaining from work due to fear of detention, garbage has begun piling up across residential areas.
Jahanur Islam, a waste collector in Gurugram for over a decade, said he and over 20 others from Assam’s Dhubri district were detained for five days. “We were not told why we were being held. All those nabbed collect garbage from houses around Kankarola and Panchgaon villages,” Islam told PTI.
Police officials denied allegations of selective targeting. “We are following the Centre's guidelines on suspected illegal immigrants. We are not detaining them, but they are being kept in 'holding areas' till the verification process is completed, and, accordingly, we are letting them go,” DCP Headquarters Arpit Jain told PTI.
According to Gurugram Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar. “Those people who have been verified have been allowed to go. More than 50 people have been kept in each holding centre, where their documents are being checked. Everyone will be released after the investigation”.
Jain further explained that the details of detained individuals are sent to District Magistrates or Deputy Commissioners in their home states. “When we receive a report from there, we take further action based on what it says,” he said.
While the official position emphasizes legality and procedure, many workers have reportedly stopped showing up for their daily jobs, unwilling to risk being picked up during what they see as arbitrary checks.
Published At: