Thursday, February 10 2005 12:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhubaneswar: The move to deport over 1,500 Bangladeshi 'infiltrators' from ten villages of Mahakalapada block in Orissa's Kendrapara District has been put off for the time being, official sources said.

The Central Government has made certain inquiries about the list of the people who have been served with the 'Quit India' notice, State Home Secretary Santosh Kumar said yesterday (Feb 9, 2005). For the time being, the deportation move is off, he said.

The 'Quit India' notice had been served on 1,548 Bengali-speaking persons who have been living in the area.

The move had generated a lot of heat with Opposition political parties and the ruling coalition partner BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) opposing the Government's decision and demanding that the people should be allowed to continue where they are.

The Sangh Parivar had also opposed the move saying, "Hindus could not be deported out of India."

A three-member delegation of CPM (Communist Party of India - Marxist) MPs led by Basudeb Acharya had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday (Feb 7, 2005) alleging that the Orissa Government had asked Indian nationals to quit the country by dubbing them as Bangladeshi 'infiltrators', CPM State Secretary Janardan Pati said yesterday.

Pati claimed that the Prime Minister had assured the delegation that the Government would inquire into the matter and no one would be deported at present.

The Prime Minister also said that he had received three reports in this connection from the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Orissa Governor Rameshwar Thakur and a Congress delegation.