Why no questions on past inhuman deportations: Nadda asks Chidambaram in RS

JP Nadda lamented that it was being portrayed that only the opposition parties were bothered about the inhuman deportation of the Illegal immigrants

New Delhi: Union minister and leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, on Tuesday responded to senior Congress leader P Chidambaram’s remark that the government had “stumbled badly” on the deportation of illegal immigrants by US, saying that the deportation process is not new, and it has been ongoing for several years.

Union minister JP Nadda speaks in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. (Sansad TV)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president lamented that it was being portrayed that only the opposition parties were bothered about the “inhuman” deportation of the Illegal immigrants and said that this concern of theirs was, however, not there though people have come with restraints earlier as well during the UPA regime.

“The process of deportation is not new and has been ongoing for several years,” Nadda said in the Upper House. He mentioned that 734 Indians were deported from the US in 2009.

“I want to make it clear because it is being portrayed that only you (opposition) are bothered about the inhuman deportation of the Illegal immigrants,” Nadda said.

“The standard operating procedure, deportation by aircraft used by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is effective from 2012 and provides for the use of restraints. So, the people have come with restraints earlier as well,” he said, as quoted by PTI, adding that national interest should not be looked at through the political lens.

Making a statement in Rajya Sabha last week, Jaishankar had said that the use of restraints has been part of the standard operating procedures of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities since 2012. “We are, of course, engaging with the US government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight,” he had said.

“He (Chidambaram) started his speech where he questioned did the external affairs minister had a talk with secretary of state with foreign affairs of America? Why didn’t he ask this question in 2012 when he was the minister? Why didn’t he ask this question in 2009 and 2013?” Nadda said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the matter, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the “restraint is sometimes generated for the pure safety of the person concerned”.

“After the external affairs minister made the statement, I learnt myself, in detail, all that the External Affairs Minister had indicated. I will share it with (Congress MP) Jairam (Ramesh) ji and he will fully appreciate that the restraint is sometimes generated for the pure safety of the person concerned,” Dhankar said.