DE News Desk :
In a major crackdown on undocumented migrants, Indian authorities have detained 1,024 Bangladeshi nationals across Gujarat, the state government announced on Saturday.
The operation, described as a coordinated effort by police forces, is part of a wider campaign to identify and deport individuals residing illegally in the country.
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has frequently characterized undocumented Bangladeshi migrants as “Muslim infiltrators,” alleging they pose a risk to national security.
Rights groups, however, argue that such rhetoric is politically motivated, aimed at consolidating support among India’s Hindu majority.
According to a statement from the Gujarat government, the detentions followed an ultimatum issued by state Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi, giving undocumented Bangladeshi nationals 48 hours to voluntarily surrender.
Authorities said they are also probing a network in the eastern state of West Bengal allegedly involved in the creation of fake identity documents to assist illegal migrants.
Following due legal processes, those detained will be deported to Bangladesh, the statement said.
Police claim that initial investigations have linked many of the detainees to narcotics trafficking, human smuggling, and other illicit activities.
India has long struggled with porous borders, particularly along its frontier with Bangladesh, leading to significant undocumented migration over the years.
Bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated sharply since political upheaval in Dhaka last August, which saw the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a key ally of New Delhi.
Hasina, now living in India, has so far resisted extradition demands from the new Bangladeshi government, which has charged her with offenses including mass murder.