Chidambaram Calls Second US Deportee Flight A Test For Indian Diplomacy

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday said that the arrival of a second US aircraft carrying Indian citizens allegedly involved in illegal migration would be a “test” for Indian diplomacy.

In a post on X, Chidambaram said, “All eyes will be on the US aircraft which will land today in Amritsar bringing back illegal immigrants. Will the deportees be handcuffed and their legs tied with ropes? It is a test for Indian diplomacy.”

Notably, on February 5, a US Air Force plane carrying Indian citizens who “illegally immigrated” to the US arrived in Amritsar, Punjab. A total of 104 Indian nationals were on board the plane that landed in Amritsar.

Speaking on the issue, Chidambaram alleged that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) “crumbled badly” in handling the deportation of Indian nationals from the United States.

He said that the government had information about the planned deportation of Indian nationals and asked if External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had raised the issue of sending Indians, identified as illegal immigrants by the US, under SoPs when he met US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

The Congress leader further added that the government was aware of the number of Indians to be deported under SoP, with handcuffs and legs tied with ropes. He asked if the government had offered to send its own plane to bring back Indians and if the government would send planes to bring back 483 more Indians identified as illegal immigrants by the US.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann came hard on the Centre over the deportation of Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the United States, and said that Amritsar is being chosen deliberately to portray that only Punjabis are illegal migrants.

“There is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis. The first plane landed in Amritsar. Now, a second plane (carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the US) will land in Amritsar. The MEA should tell the criteria based on which Amritsar was selected to land the aircraft. You select Amritsar to defame Punjab. At the time when PM Modi and (US President) Trump were meeting, they (US authorities) must have been putting shackles on our people. Is this the gift Trump has given? America’s military planes are landing in Amritsar, and an enemy country, Pakistan, is right next to it. Lahore is 40 km from there. What kind of foreign policy is this?” the Punjab CM said.

He questioned the Centre as to why Ahmedabad or any other place was not chosen.

“I will strictly oppose this. I demand to the MEA and the MHA that the plane is still onboard, change the route and make it land in Delhi, Hindon or Ahmedabad,” CM Mann said. (ANI)