Opposition slams govt over deported Indians’ ordeal, demands answers
Opposition MPs protest over the deportation of Indian immigrants from the US. pic/PTI
Several opposition MPs on Thursday slammed the government for the way Indians staying illegally in the United States were deported, questioning the treatment meted out to them. A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Donald Trump government as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.
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The deportees claimed their hands and legs were cuffed throughout the journey and they were unshackled only after landing at the Amritsar airport. Opposition parliamentarians, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, protested the treatment meted out to the Indians by US authorities by staging a demonstration in Parliament complex. Some of the opposition leaders protested while wearing handcuffs.
Carrying placards like “Humans. Not prisoners”, the opposition leaders said they would not tolerate the insult to India and raised slogans against the government like “Indians insulted. India won’t stay silent”.
“We, the INDIA parties, shall not tolerate the humiliation of Indian nationals. Modi Government must come out with a detailed statement on the deportation and why did we not send our own planes to bring back the Indians, with dignity and respect, instead of a military plane landing on our soil,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X. Sharing a video of a deportee who was narrating his ordeal, Rahul Gandhi said on X, “Prime Minister, listen to this man’s pain. Indians deserve Dignity and Humanity, NOT Handcuffs”.
6.75 lakh still in limbo: Owaisi
Amid an uproar over the deportation of Indian nationals who were allegedly illegally living in the US, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said according to a report there are still 6,75,000 Indian immigrants in the US and 18,000 people are on the final list. “According to the Pew Research 2022 report, there are still 6,75,000 undocumented Indian immigrants in the USA, and 18,000 people are still on the final list. When all these people return, it will impact remittances as well. The government must also address what it will do for them,” Owaisi told media.
Father reunites with deported daughter
Jayantibhai Patel, a resident of Gujarat’s Vadodara district, could not hold back his emotions after seeing his daughter, who was deported from the US, reaching home safe. Khushbu Patel, 29, a native of Luna village in Vadodara district, was among the 104 Indians deported from the US for illegal immigration.
Security personnel escort Gujarat natives deported from US after they were brought to the Ahmedabad airport. Pic/PTI
She too was handcuffed during the journey aboard a US military aircraft which landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, her brother said. A plane carrying her and 32 other deportees from Amritsar to Gujarat reached Ahmedabad airport on Thursday morning.
India engaging with US: EAM
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the government is engaging with the US to ensure that deported Indians are not mistreated, underlining the focus should be on strong crackdown on the illegal migration industry.
EAM S Jaishankar. Pic/PTI
The minister’s statement in the Rajya Sabha came amid protests over the treatment meted out to 104 Indians who were depoted. “We are of course engaging the US government to ensure the returning deportees are not mistreated during the flight,” Jaishankar said.
Why did PM let this happen: Priyanka
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed the government for the way Indians were deported and demanded that PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar must answer on the issue. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, “A lot of things were said that Modi ji and Trump ji are very good friends. Why did Modi ji let this happen, couldn’t we have sent our plane to get them.”
New law in works for safe migration
The government is seriously considering enacting a new legislation to establish an enabling framework that will promote safe, orderly and regular migration for overseas employment. The proposal to frame a new law comes at a time when the US has deported 104 illegal Indian immigrants. The proposed legislation on Emigration (Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024) seeks to replace the Emigration Act of 1983 with a view to facilitate the circular mobility of people intending to emigrate for overseas employment. This has emerged from a report by the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, which was presented in Parliament on Monday.
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