Second US Flight Carrying Indian Migrants to Land in Amritsar Today

Flight Carrying Indian Migrants: The second flight of Indian deportees from the US is expected to land at Amritsar’s Shri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport between 10 pm and 11 pm on Saturday. This follows the first deportation flight last week, in which 104 illegal Indian immigrants were sent back to India.

This comes days after the first batch of 104 Indian immigrants were flown back to India in a US military aircraft last week. The deportees were handcuffed during the flight which created an uproar in the country, including in the political corridors.

The decision to land the flight in Amritsar has sparked controversy, with Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema alleging that the BJP-led central government is deliberately targeting Punjab.

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"The government wants to defame Punjab by ensuring that aircraft carrying deported Indians land in Amritsar. Why not Haryana or Gujarat? This is clearly an attempt by the BJP to tarnish Punjab's image. This aircraft should land in Ahmedabad instead," Cheema said.

Sources said among the 119 deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Another plane carrying more deportees is expected to arrive on February 16 as well.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reacted sharply questioning the landing of the U.S. aircraft in Amritsar.

“The BJP government at the Centre leaves no opportunity to defame Punjab and Punjabis.. It’s under a conspiracy that the BJP wants to defame Punjab. The U.S. government is deporting illegal migrants, and in this chain, the first aircraft arrived in Amritsar. Now the second aircraft is coming and that is also landing in Amritsar. Why? What is the criteria of the Centre to choose Amritsar? You (Centre) have chosen it only to defame Punjab and Punjabis. Deportation is a national problem,” he said in Amritsar, addressing a press conference.

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“Despite the fact that a hostile neighbour (Pakistan) is 40 kilometres away from Amritsar, an Army plane of the U.S. is being landed here. To tarnish the image of the State, the plane carrying deportees is being landed here without any rationale. If the plane carrying former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina can be landed at Hindon airport and Rafale jet can land in Ambala (Haryana), then why can’t this plane be taken to any other part of country? Illegal immigration is not only the problem of Punjab but it is a national problem whereas projection is being made that Punjab is severely affected by this so only Punjabis are being deported from the U.S,” he said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the issue in Parliament, assuring that India is engaging with US authorities to ensure dignified treatment of deportees. He emphasized that while immigration laws must be followed, humane treatment should not be compromised.

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