Mumbai: Politics has escalated over the arrest of Rubel Jonu Shaikh, president of the north Mumbai minority cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after it came to light that he was illegally living in India. The opposition has cornered the Bhartiya Janata Party after reports suggested that Rubel Shaikh was living illegally in the country for years. It is being said that Shaikh is allegedly a Bangladeshi immigrant living in Malad illegally for around 10 years. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant has demanded a special probe claiming that Rubel Sheikh, now the president of the BJP’s minority wing in Mumbai, is a Bangladeshi. Meanwhile, BJP leader Ashish Shelar has retaliated.
Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “On one hand, the BJP is bringing Citizenship Amendment Act for the action against illegal residents, on the other, its own office-bearers are proved to be Bangladeshis. The party should clarify if they have made some special provision in the Act for their own people. Is this some type of jihad in the party?”
Malvani police recently arrested 24-year old Shaikh in a crackdown on illegal immigrants and booked him under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Passport (Entry into India) Act and Foreigners Act.
NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase wrote a letter to state home minister Anil Deshmukh seeking an investigation into the Bangladesh connection. “I am surprised that BJP leaders, who are always on the forefront for action against people speaking against them, terming them anti-nationals, are silent on this issue,” he said.
Ashish Shelar retaliates on Sachin Sawant’s comments
BJP leader and legislator Ashish Shelar hit back at the Congress and raised question over the nationality of the Congress leaders. “None of our party workers or office-bearers belongs to Bangladesh. Police are free to take action against any such person if they have sufficient evidence. Sawant’s allegations are baseless and levelled for the sake of publicity. We would not ask him which country his party president belongs to,” he said.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, The police investigation revealed that he was a Bangladesh national who has been living in Mumbai illegally since 2011. The investigation also revealed that the accused had prepared fake identity cards such as PAN and Aadhaar cards with the help of forged documents.
