Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir’s top elected official, Omar Abdullah, has criticized an alleged eviction drive targeting Rohingya refugees, saying they were being singled out despite having lived in the region for years.

Speaking to reporters in Srinagar on Tuesday, Abdullah said people who entered India illegally from Bangladesh should face legal action, but argued that Rohingyas fleeing persecution in Myanmar were a separate case.

“Those who entered from Bangladesh without permission—that is a separate issue. But the Rohingyas are being singled out without cause. They were driven out of their country (Myanmar), and we gave them shelter,” Abdullah said.

Indian authorities on Monday flew at least 150 Bangladeshi nationals from Kashmir to West Bengal, a state bordering Bangladesh, saying they were staying in the region illegally.

Officials said a survey conducted across Jammu and Kashmir found around 600 Bangladeshi nationals allegedly living without legal permission.

Government data shows about 7,656 Rohingyas were living in Jammu and Kashmir, including 6,737 in the Jammu division and 919 in the Kashmir Valley.

The eviction campaign has intensified in Jammu, with landlords reportedly ordered to remove Rohingya tenants or face criminal cases. At least 18 first information reports have been registered against people accused of failing to report tenants to authorities, according to the Deccan Chronicle.

Human rights groups estimate that around 1,800 Rohingyas have been rendered homeless during the campaign. Many affected families say they have lived in Jammu for 15 to 20 years, working mainly as laborers and holding documents issued by the UN refugee agency.

According to Anadolu Agency, Abdullah said the campaign was being directed by India’s federal government, while Jammu and Kashmir police were carrying out verification and eviction operations.

“They must not be treated like animals. They are human beings. You cannot let them starve or freeze,” Abdullah said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has alleged a “political conspiracy” behind the settlement of Rohingyas in Jammu. The opposition Congress party, meanwhile, has called for the authorities to follow international refugee norms.

The Rohingyas are a stateless Muslim minority from Myanmar who have faced decades of persecution and discrimination. More than 700,000 fled Myanmar’s Rakhine State after violence erupted in August 2017, with the majority seeking refuge in Bangladesh.

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