Delhi HC directs two Bangladeshis to approach Centre over passport numbers on blacklist

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed two Bangladeshi petitioners to approach the Central government with a representation relating to a plea seeking to remove the name and passport numbers from the blacklist. The Court also directed the union government to decide about the representation within six weeks.

The petitioners have also sought direction to remove the name and passport numbers from the blacklist Circular and Look Out Circular. The petitioners, namely Shirin Akter and Shohel Ahmed are from Bangladesh, who were deported from India in the year 1999, stated that their names and passport numbers formed part of the Blacklist Circular.

'India is the only country where foreigners can approach courts' says Advocate Amit Mahajan

Advocate Amit Mahajan, who apeared for the Central government, submitted that India is the only country in the world where foreigners can approach courts with their petitions challenging denial to their entry into the country. The petitioner sought the intervention of the Court in the 'arbitrary, unreasonable and discriminatory' action of the Centre in blacklisting the petitioners and Blacklist Circular in blatant violation of Article 14 of the Constitution.

One of the petitioners Shohel Ahmed applied for Indian tourist visas in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to visit her daughter in Kolkata but, it got refused without giving any reason.

"That the Petitioners were blacklisted without their knowledge and without affording them an opportunity to be heard in an arbitrary and unreasonable manner which is against the established principles of natural justice and in a blatant violation of the 'Doctrine of Reasonable Classification' and thereby is violative of Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India, " the petitioner said. 

Hindu temples attacked in Bangladesh on Dussehra 

Meanwhile, at least 8 people were killed while several others were injured in multiple cases of communal violence during the Durga Puja festivities in Bangladesh. Reports stated that violence broke out when devotees were celebrating Durga Puja, a widely celebrated religious festival of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. 

In Cumilla, at least 50 people were left injured as a group of hardliners clashed with the police in the Nanua Dighirpar area after rumours of a communal incident surfaced. Earlier, the Vishva Hindu Parishad demanded that a fact-finding team of Indian parliamentarians be sent to Bangladesh for a probe into the recent incidents of violence against Hindu minorities. 

With ANI Inputs