Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the deportations of Indian nationals from the United States who were allegedly living there illegally, and questioned the PM's claims of a 'close relationship' with US President Donald Trump.
Speaking to ANI, Kharge raised concerns about the inhumane treatment of deportees and stressed that India could have instead sent its own flight to bring them home.
"PM Modi has gone there (US), he will talk about it. PM Modi keeps saying that he can solve anything because the US is our friend and things would be solved. People come and go but a nation is permanent. Instead of thinking in favour of the nation, PM Modi keeps saying that Trump is his friend. If Trump really listens to PM Modi, then why are they deporting our people?" he said.
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"Instead of sending them on a regular passenger flight, why were they sent on a goods flight. This means PM Modi's friend is treating our people like slaves. We could have sent our flight to bring them back," Kharge added.
{{/usCountry}}"Instead of sending them on a regular passenger flight, why were they sent on a goods flight. This means PM Modi's friend is treating our people like slaves. We could have sent our flight to bring them back," Kharge added.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed the NDA government over the issue and said 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 will the government send planes to bring back 483 more Indians identified as illegal immigrants by the US.
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.
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Opposition parties slammed the government both inside and outside Parliament, alleging that the deported Indians were brought in an "inhuman manner" on a US military plane and claiming that they were "ill-treated and handcuffed."