FACT CHECK: Who is telling lies?

Prime minister on Sunday in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi: The Congress and urban Naxals' propaganda that there are detention camps to accommodate those who cannot prove their citizenship,  is a lie. They are saying it with the intention to destroy the nation.  There are ulterior motives behind that;  what they are lies.

Prime Minister Modi: Neither the cabinet,  nor parliament discussed implementation of NRC countrywide;  any propaganda to the contrary are lies.

President Ram Nath Kovind in his address to the members of 17th Lok Sabha (20 June):  Illegal immigrants are a big threat to the country and has caused social inequalities.  The government will implement National Citizenship Register based on priority in areas with illegal infiltrators.

BJP leaders and government:  There is no linkage between NRC and NPR.

Current Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been saying over the last two years that National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be implemented across the country.

During November- December in Rajya Sabha,   and on 17 December in a programme on the 'Aj Tak' TV channel,  Amit Shah said the same thing. 

FACTS

• In Assam alone, there are six detention centres: situated in Goalpara,  Silchar,  Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh,  Jorhat,  Tezpur. Ten more are under construction.  The state with the most number of detention centres,  is also Assam.
• Minister of State of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha on November 19."Detention centres are set up by state governments or Union Territory administrations as per their requirement to detain illegal migrants or foreigners who have completed their sentence pending their deportation to their native country. At present, detention centres have been set up only in the state of Assam."
• In reply to a question raised by Congress MP from the Barpeta constituency of Assam, Rai said, as of November 13:  a total of 1,043 foreigners are residing in the six detention centres in Assam. "A total of 1,025 Bangladeshi and 18 Myanmarese are in these centres".
• The detention centres of Assam function under the district prisons,  and are run by state home affairs ministry.
• In Goalpara district in Lower Assam, a new detention centre is under construction that can accommodate 3,000 people.  Its cost: Rs 46.51 Cr.  When this is complete,  those accommodated in the six centres now will be transferred here.
• Mumbai newspapers published in September this year news of the move to build detention centres in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra under the leadership of the then Maharashtra chief minister  Devendra Fadnavis.   The news item mentioned that the state home ministry had asked the State Industrial Development Corporation to provide 1.2 hectares of land. The government did not react to the news item.
• In Sondekoppa village, Karnataka,  a new detention centre will start functioning on 1st January.   Sondekoppa is just 30 kilometers away from capital Bengaluru.  A hostel formerly used for backward classes,  was converted to a detention centre.  In November,  Karnataka government issued a circular asking Bengaluru police to take over responsibility of the centre.
• On 23 July 2014,  deputy minister for home, Kiran Rijiju answered a query by BK Hari Prasad of Congress:  the Government has decided to prepare  a national register of citizens by collecting data from the National Population Register (NPR) scheme of all citizens of the country about their citizenship status.

WHAT ARE DETENTION CENTRES:

• A place for the long-term detention of illegal immigrants (those who enter the country without proper documents).  Those who are found to be illegal immigrants will be put in jail until their citizenship is pvoded.
• The objective is also to trace them easily,  when it is decided to expel them  in accordance with Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act.
• Detention centres are to be built in compliance with the Foreigners act 1946.  The centres should be away from  prisons.
• Detention centres should have creche to take care of children,  CCTV,  LPG connection and employment skills development centre.
• Members of a family should be lodged in the same detention centre.
• Special cells should be set for detainees to make contact with embassy and family members.
• The Law:  According to Foreigners Act, 1946,  the power to expel illegal migrants rests wth the Centre.  As per article 258(1) of the Constitution the states,  and as per Art 239(1), the Centre can expel such people. ‌