Bengaluru (PTI): A special squad will be formed to flush out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from the state, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Thursday.

Replying to a calling attention by MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in the state Assembly, Reddy said the agents who bring Bangladeshis to the state will also be arrested.

Reddy said that when he held the home portfolio in the past, a special squad was formed to identify Bangladeshis in agriculture estates. 

"If needed, we will form a special squad, identify the illegal Bangladeshis in the state and send them back," the minister assured Yatnal, who is an expelled BJP legislator.

"We will start a drive to flush out the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to deport them. We will also book and arrest the agents, who bring Bangladeshis to Karnataka," Reddy said.

Yatnal claimed that there are about 25 lakh illegal migrants from Bangladeshis in the state who are working in the agriculture estates, shopping malls and security agencies and demanded the government's response.

Reddy said there were 370 illegal Bangladeshis in Karnataka of which 213 people have been sent back while action is being taken against the rest.

Those who have not been repatriated have been kept at the Foreign Detention Centre since they were involved in some criminal cases.

The minister said that people from the north east and West Bengal were being mistaken for Bangladeshis.

"Karnataka has people from the north east and not Bangladesh. There are about eight lakh to 10 lakh people from West Bengal, seven lakh to eight lakh from Bihar, people from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Bengaluru," Reddy said.

He blamed the Centre for the illegal Bangladeshi migrants.

"Where do the Bangladeshis come from. Bangladesh is not next to Karnataka. The Centre should stop the illegal migrants. Why are they letting Bangladeshis in Karnataka," he charged.

Yatnal welcomed the formation of the squad as he noted that illegal Bangladeshis pose serious security threat to India as they could be "underworld dons and terrorists" .

The MLA alleged that the state intelligence department has completely failed as they could not detect the actual number of Bangladeshis residing in the state.

"Over 25 lakh Bangladeshis are there in the state and they are involved in various kinds of crime. The way these Bangladeshis are burning Hindus alive in their country, that kind of situation should not arise in Karnataka," the Vijayapura MLA said.

He also charged that the police book cases against those who try to find out illegal Bangladeshis, a charge the minister rejected.

Yatnal also demanded protection to those who provide information as they should not be troubled. In reply, Reddy said, "let them provide information but they should not take law into their hands."

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Budaun (UP) (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government has shunted the Circle Officer of the area in connection with the recent killing of two senior officials at an HPCL compressed biogas plant in the district, officials said on Sunday.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hirdesh Katheriya said that Ujhani Circle Officer Devendra Singh has been attached to the Police headquarters in Lucknow, and Rahul Pandey of UP-112 emergency response service has been posted to Budaun in his place.

The action comes a day after the state government transferred Senior Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Singh following the double murder at the plant in Sejni village in the Musajhag area.

Meanwhile, under the directions of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Bareilly divisional commissioner to conduct a detailed probe into the incident.

The incident took place on Thursday when Sudhir Kumar Gupta, 58, deputy general manager at the facility, and Harshit Sharma, 34, an assistant manager, were shot dead by Ajay Pratap Singh, who was earlier a vendor at the plant here in the district.

The main accused has been arrested, and authorities have also pasted notices on six shops allegedly owned by him in Sejni village that were reportedly constructed over government land, they said, adding that the demolition may be carried out after due procedure.

In view of the incident, authorities have also decided to establish a police outpost inside the plant premises with the deployment of two sub-inspectors and eight police personnel to enhance security.