The Opposition MPs, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav, on Thursday protested against the “disrespectful” deportation of Indian nationals by the United States.
Demanding a discussion in Parliament over the issue, the MPs expressed their anguish over the humiliation meted out to the Indian nationals. The MPs were seen holding placards that read “humans not criminals”. Some of them also sported handcuffs as the deported Indians were handcuffed when they arrived in India in a US military plane.
Speaking about the issue, Akhilesh took a dig at the BJP-led NDA government, saying why are those who showed the dream of making India a “Vishwauru” silent now.
“Indian citizens are deported to India by being handcuffed like slaves and in inhumane conditions. What is the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) doing? What did the govt do to protect children and women from this disrespect? We want the government to reply to this and allow the opposition to discuss the issue in Parliament…,” he said.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who claims to be the “good friend” of US President Donald Trump, allowed this to happen. “A lot of things were said that President Trump and PM Modi are very good friends. Why did PM Modi let this happen? Couldn’t we have sent our own aircraft to bring them back? Is this how humans are treated? That they are sent back handcuffed and shackled?…EAM and PM should answer,” she demanded.
Voicing similar concerns, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said, “The way they were brought in was wrong. They were humiliated. Their hands and feet were chained. When our government already knew that they were going to be deported, they should have sent a commercial flight to bring them back.”
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi expressed his disappointment with the conduct of the American government and questioned the silence of the prime minister and the MEA.
“I am very disappointed with this conduct of the American government. America and India share good relations, but the manner in which they have sent back more than 100 Indian nationals handcuffed and their feet shackled in a military plane is absolutely inhumane. I am surprised that the PM is silent. Why is MEA silent?… I think MEA and PM should make a statement on this,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian government is engaging the US government to ensure Indians being deported are not mistreated in any manner.
“…We are engaging the US government to ensure the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner,” he said.
The minister stated that the SOP of deportation by aircraft use by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement authority of the US provides for restraint, but children and women are not restrained.
“The deportation by the US are organised and executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE) authority. The SOP of deportation by aircraft used by ICE which is effective from 2012 provides for the use of restraint. We have been informed by ICE that women and children are not restrained,” he added.
Jaishankar also assured the House that law enforcement agencies will take exemplary action on agents facilitating such illegal immigration.
“…the House will appreciate that our focus should be on strong crackdown against the illegal immigration industry. On the basis of information provided by the deportees, the law enforcement agencies will take necessary, preventive and exemplary action against the agents and such agencies,” he added.