He further questioned why deportation was being made to seem like a Punjab-centric issue when it was a national concern.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday raised serious concerns over the landing of US military aircraft carrying deported illegal Indian immigrants at Amritsar airport. Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the central government was deliberately attempting to tarnish Punjab's image by selecting Amritsar as the destination for these flights.
"The first aircraft carrying 104 deported illegal immigrants landed in Amritsar earlier this month. Out of these, 33 were from Gujarat, 33 from Haryana, 30 from Punjab, 2 from Maharashtra, and several from other states. Now, the second aircraft is also set to land in Amritsar. Why? What are the criteria for selecting Amritsar Airport? This is a clear attempt to defame Punjabis," Mann stated.
He further questioned why deportation was being made to seem like a Punjab-centric issue when it was a national concern. Drawing attention to India's handling of the situation, he compared it to Colombia, which sent its own aircraft to receive its deported citizens. "Why is India allowing US military aircraft to land in Amritsar, a border state? We have the capability to bring our own people back."
CM Mann also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, questioning the timing of the deportation flights. "While PM Modi was in discussions with Donald Trump, Indian immigrants were being handcuffed and sent back. Is this deportation flight a 'gift' accompanying PM Modi’s return from the US?" he remarked.
He further highlighted the inconsistencies in the deportation process, questioning why the first flight did not land in Gujarat, where 33 deportees were from. "Now they claim 67 of 119 deportees in the second flight are from Punjab. But when there were 33 from Gujarat in the first flight, why wasn’t it sent there? Why didn’t Rafale jets land in Amritsar if Amritsar was to be chosen for everything?" he questioned.
Condemning the move, Mann urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to reconsider the landing location for these flights. "We will bring our people back ourselves. Punjab should not be singled out in this matter," he asserted.
