GG News Bureau
Amritsar, 15th Feb. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has slammed the Centre over the landing of another deportation flight carrying illegal Indian immigrants from the United States. Mann accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to “defame” Punjab by choosing Amritsar as the landing site for these flights.
A flight carrying 119 deported Indian nationals is set to arrive at Amritsar Airport at 10 PM today. Among the deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. This comes amid a political row over a previous deportation flight last week, which returned 104 Indian migrants in shackles aboard a US military aircraft.
Mann questioned the rationale behind selecting Amritsar as the designated landing site, alleging a political motive.
“A second plane carrying Indians who allegedly migrated illegally to the US will land in Amritsar tomorrow. The Ministry of External Affairs should explain the criteria for choosing Amritsar. This is an attempt to defame Punjab,” Mann said.
He further linked the deportations to a broader agenda, alleging that the issue was being selectively highlighted against Punjab.
BJP Hits Back
The BJP dismissed Mann’s allegations, accusing him of politicizing the issue.
“Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann should avoid playing politics on such sensitive matters. AAP leaders are only interested in political gains,” said BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal.
BJP national spokesperson RP Singh countered Mann’s claims, stating that Amritsar was chosen due to its geographical proximity as the nearest international airport for US-bound flights.
“Mr Bhagwant Mann, stop spreading conspiracy theories. Amritsar is the logical choice due to its location,” Singh said in a social media post.
Mann, however, insisted that Punjabis were being unfairly targeted, highlighting that deportees from other states, such as Gujarat and Haryana, were not receiving similar media attention.
“Have you seen any interviews of deportees from Gujarat on national television? Only Punjab’s youth are being shown. This is a deliberate attempt to project illegal migration as a Punjab-specific issue,” he alleged.
Centre’s Stance
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar defended the government’s approach, stating in the Rajya Sabha that India has an obligation to take back its nationals found to be living illegally abroad. He emphasized that deportations were being conducted under standard US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) procedures, which have been in place since 2012.
Mann, however, questioned why deportation flights were not being directed to other major airports, citing instances where aircraft carrying foreign dignitaries and military jets landed at alternative locations.
“If a plane carrying Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina can land at Hindon, and Rafale jets can land in Ambala, why can’t these flights land in Delhi?” he asked.
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