Mayor Sushma Kharkwal with U.P. Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak at a Chhath Puja event in Lucknow. File.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharkwal on Thursday (December 4, 2025) visited slums in Phool Bagh Bahadurpur to identify alleged Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingya people living illegally in the area and pushed for their ouster saying that several people failed to show legal documents of identity.
“Over 300-400 people are living in the slums but only a few people were able to show their Aadhaar cards etc. They were not able to tell the address and name of their local MLA and representatives. They have been asked to leave the place within 15 days. We are conducting a drive under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation for checking such illegal immigrants who are likely Rohingya or Bangladeshis,” Ms. Kharkwal told reporters.
Describing the visit as an intimidation tactic by the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the State, opposition parties questioned the mayor’s authority to check the identity documents of people.
Congress national secretary Shahnawaz Alam said, “It’s an intimidation tactic. On several occasions, Bengali-speaking people from West Bengal or Assam working in Uttar Pradesh were targeted in the garb of crackdown on Rohingya or Bangladeshis. The government must come out with authentic numbers about how many people were found to be illegal immigrants. Also, how is a mayor authorised to conduct a drive to check government identity markers related to nationality. It can only be done by the district administration or law enforcement agencies.”
Unregulated and undocumented entry has posed risks to law and order, strained resources, and undermined opportunities meant for citizens, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said. The party expressed solidarity with the States government’s ‘commitment to enforce a law without fear’.
“The Uttar Pradesh Government’s focused drive to identify illegal immigrants is a decisive step toward securing the State’s future. For too long, unregulated and undocumented entry has posed risks to law and order, strained public resources, and undermined opportunities meant for genuine citizens. The BJP firmly stands with the State government’s commitment to enforcing the law without fear or favour. This initiative reflects our clear resolve: Uttar Pradesh will not allow illegal infiltration to compromise its security, its economy, or the rights of its people,” senior BJP leader Pushkar Mishra said.
Mr. Mishra added that this process is being carried out with transparency, sensitivity, and strict adherence to constitutional norms. “Let it be absolutely clear — this is not about politics or targeting any community; it is about protecting every lawful resident and preserving the state’s stability. We urge citizens to extend full cooperation so that the verification can be completed swiftly and effectively. Under the BJP’s leadership, Uttar Pradesh will continue to act decisively to maintain order, uphold sovereignty, and ensure that only those with legal credentials have a stake in the state’s future,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on November 22 issued instructions to all District Magistrates to identify and take stringent action against alleged illegal immigrants. Directions were also issued to establish temporary detention centres in each district to house “identified infiltrators”.
Published – December 05, 2025 07:22 am IST
