Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur took aim at the Congress party and the Himachal Pradesh government, accusing them of inaction regarding the presence of Pakistani citizens residing in India, both legally and illegally.
Thakur alleged that non-BJP governed states have shown minimal effort in deporting Pakistani nationals and urged the Himachal Pradesh government to take immediate steps. His comments came after a memorandum was submitted earlier in the day calling for action on the matter.
"Action is being taken to send back Pakistani citizens living in India legally and illegally, but in non-BJP ruled states, this action has been negligible. In Himachal Pradesh too, no such action is being taken. What is the compulsion that Congress has to speak the language of Pakistan?" Thakur questioned while speaking to reporters.
He went on to ask whether the Congress party had any particular reason to refrain from acting, adding, "Why are Congress and some other opposition parties speaking the language of Pakistan? The question arises whether the Congress party stands with India today."
Thakur made a direct appeal to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and the state government, referencing the memorandum submitted earlier in the day. "It has been clearly stated that legal and illegal Pakistani citizens should be sent out of Himachal Pradesh and off Indian soil," he emphasised.
In tandem with Thakur’s remarks, the BJP organised protests across 17 locations in 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh. The demonstrations were aimed at denouncing the state Congress government for what the BJP claims is a lack of initiative in addressing the issue of Pakistani nationals residing in the region.
Leading the protest in Shimla, BJP Himachal Pradesh President Rajeev Bindal underlined the national security implications of the matter. He highlighted that the issue had been addressed seriously at the highest levels of government.
"This is a very important issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji called an all-party meeting where all political parties across the country showed solidarity. The Government of India then took a decision that all Pakistani nationals residing in India must leave the country, and a circular to that effect was sent to all state governments," Bindal said.
He further alleged that the Congress-led state government had not acted on the directive issued by the central government. "But the Himachal Pradesh government has failed to act. Why is this government not taking any steps? They must go to the ground level and search. Many incidents have come to light, people who came 25–30 years ago from Pakistan have settled here and even managed to become voters in India," Bindal claimed.
Expressing grave concern, Bindal warned that Himachal Pradesh could risk becoming a safe haven for infiltrators due to what he described as administrative laxity.
"Our country is turning into a 'sarai' (inn) in this manner. This is why Prime Minister Modi's decision and the NDA government's step have received support from all parties. So why is the Himachal Pradesh government backing away from this decision?" he asked.
He reiterated that the BJP's street protests were intended to raise awareness and pressure the state administration into taking decisive action.
The Centre’s decision to deport Pakistani citizens—except those on long-term, diplomatic, or official visas—came into effect on April 27. This directive followed the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow, where 26 people, primarily tourists, were killed in one of the most severe attacks on civilians in the Kashmir Valley in recent years.
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