A flight carrying 119 illegal Indian immigrants is set to arrive at Amritsar Airport on Saturday from the United States. According to official sources, the plane will touch down at roughly 10 PM. Among those deported, 100 are from Punjab and Haryana, including 67 from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, 8 from Gujarat, 3 from Uttar Pradesh, 2 each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Previously, a plane had arrived in Amritsar with illegal Indian immigrants.
The politics surrounding these landings in Amritsar is heating up. Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann protested the situation in a press conference yesterday, which resulted in the plane now arriving at 10 PM. The plane will be arriving at this terminal. Mann stated that after landing, 67 Punjabis will disembark, and no one will go hungry. There will be arrangements for food as well as transportation for those from Haryana. Those deported who are employable will be offered jobs by the Punjab government.
CM Bhagwant Mann criticized the central government, urging them not to turn Amritsar, a sacred city, into a deportation hub. During his visit to the airport on Saturday, he mentioned that the Punjab government had prepared for the arrival of Punjab residents among the deportees, ensuring their safe return to their hometowns. Bhagwant Mann said that deported people from other states will be flown from Amritsar to Delhi Sunday morning and then to their respective locations.
Landing Army Planes in Border Areas Mistake: CM Mann
CM Bhagwant Mann commented that landing army planes in border areas is incorrect. He added that Trump would have refueled and moved his plane forward. CM Mann noted the irony of PM Modi embracing Donald Trump in the US while illegal Indian immigrants are being deported. He questioned how the BJP plans to contest elections in 2027. He also rebuked BJP leader Ravneet Bittu, scheduled to arrive in Amritsar at 7 PM, questioning his purpose there.
'Discrimination Against Punjab by Central Government'
Speaking with journalists at the airport, CM Mann expressed disappointment that although India has many airbases, the plane could have been landed elsewhere. When asked if the deportees in the next batch would be shackled, he stated he had no information. Mann criticized the central government for not sending its plane to bring back illegal Indian deportees, accusing them of consistently discriminating against Punjab and tarnishing its reputation without missing any opportunity. He labeled it as a conspiracy to defame Punjab and its people.
Concerning actions against agents, Punjab's Minister for NRIs, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, mentioned that all arrangements for alleged illegal Indian immigrants have been made. He noted that previously, they had organized suitable arrangements. He commented that the central government had not responded, despite CM Mann writing to India's Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home. As a border state, Punjab should not permit planes carrying purported illegal immigrants to land at Amritsar. Dhaliwal indicated that Punjab aims to improve its image and has taken action against agents, and will continue to do so, acknowledging that complaints are needed to incite action.
Congress Leader Bajwa Raises Concern Over Action Against Travel Agents
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa accused the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to curb human trafficking. His comments came as the second plane with 119 illegal Indian immigrants from the US is set to land in Amritsar. Questioning CM Mann, Bajwa asked how many travel agents were charged for human trafficking in the last three years and sought clarity from CM Mann, who also holds the home department, on how many such cases were registered.
