Thiruvananthapuram, Dec. 25 -- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has underscored the government's responsibility to effectively manage India's borders, stating that the presence of illegal immigrants reflected systemic failures that needed to be addressed firmly and lawfully.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Tharoor said that if people were entering the country illegally or overstaying their visas, it pointed to lapses in border management and immigration controls.

"If illegal immigrants are coming into our country, isn't it our failure? Shouldn't we control our borders better?" he asked, adding that the government was well within its rights to act against such violations. "Indeed, if anyone is illegally in this country or even overstaying a visa...