SHILLONG, Sept 27 - Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju on Saturday declared that minority Hindus sheltered by India would not be accommodated in North East alone, but throughout the country, while taking note of the opposition to grant citizenship rights to such people.
He, however, asserted, if a minority community of a particular country is persecuted on religious grounds, �it is the responsibility of neighbouring countries to provide shelter to such people in their territory.�
Therefore, the Union Minister said, India has provided shelter to Bangladeshi Hindus in India as they were persecuted on religious grounds. He said Bangladeshi Hindus have been residing in India for several decades.
He said the Government is treating these cases of Bangladeshi Hindus on humanitarian ground and there are proposals to grant them citizenship rights.
�The North East alone would not share the burden of providing shelter to such people, but these people would be accommodated throughout India,� Rijiju said.
On continuation of peace talks with NSCN (K), he said the Government of India wanted to continue with the peace talks with NSCN (K). �It is NSCN (K) which has abrogated the peace talks. Union Government was in favour of continuing talks with the outfit,� he said.
Informing about the abduction Intelligence Bureau official, B Singh from Rongra, South Garo Hills and his reported death, Rijiju said, there is no confirmation about the death.
Terming the Garo Hills situation as �disturbing�, the Union Minister said that the Centre is willing to provide more assistance if the State Government wants.
