Bhagwant Mann's "Defame Punjab" Claim Over Deportation Flights, BJP's Reply

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the Centre over the impending arrival of another aircraft carrying illegal Indian immigrants deported from the United States. Mr Mann has accused the BJP-led central government of deliberately trying to "defame" Punjab by choosing Amritsar as the landing site for these flights.

A flight carrying 119 deported Indian nationals is expected to arrive at Amritsar Airport around 10 PM today. Among them, 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 and Kashmir. This comes in the backdrop of a political row over 104 Indian migrants who were sent back to India, chained and shackled, on a C-17 US military aircraft last week. 

Mr Mann has questioned the rationale behind selecting Amritsar as the designated landing site for these flights, implying a political motive behind the Centre's move. 

"A second plane carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the US will land in Amritsar tomorrow. The Ministry of External Affairs should tell the criteria based on which Amritsar was selected to land the aircraft. You select Amritsar to defame Punjab. So, at the time when PM Modi and US President Donald Trump were meeting, they (US authorities) must have been putting shackles on our people. Is this the gift Trump has given?" asked the Punjab Chief Minister. 

"The BJP-led Centre always discriminates against Punjab. It does not let go of any chance of defaming Punjab," alleged Mr Mann. "As part of a conspiracy, they are trying to defame Punjab and Punjabis." 

The BJP refuted Mr Mann's allegations, accusing him of exploiting the issue for political gains. 

"Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should avoid doing politics on such sensitive issues. AAP leaders do not care about the security of the country; they only do politics," BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said. 

"Amritsar is the nearest international airport for flights entering India from the US. That is why US aircraft carrying illegal immigrants are landing there. Mr Bhagwant Mann, stop politicising the issue and promoting conspiracy theories due to your lack of knowledge," said BJP national spokesperson RP Singh in a social media post. 

अमेरिका से भारत में प्रवेश करने वाली उड़ानों के लिए अमृतसर निकटतम अंतरराष्ट्रीय हवाई अड्डा है। इसीलिए अवैध अप्रवासियों को ले जा रहा अमेरिकी विमान वहां उतर रहा है। @BhagwantMann जी, अपने ज्ञान की कमी के कारण मुद्दे का राजनीतिकरण करना और षड्यंत्र की थ्योरी को बढ़ावा देना बंद करें।

— RP Singh National Spokesperson BJP (@rpsinghkhalsa) February 15, 2025

Mr Mann has claimed that despite a large number of deportees hailing from Gujarat and Haryana, the focus has been primarily on Punjabis.

"Did you see any interviews of the deportees from Gujarat on national television? Only the interviews of Punjab's youths were shown. Even tomorrow, you will go there to take their interview. We strongly object to the plane being made to land in Amritsar," he said.

The Punjab Chief Minister insists that illegal immigration is not exclusive to Punjab but is being projected as if it were.

"It is a deliberate attempt so that it appears that only Punjabis migrate illegally," Mr Mann said.

He reiterated his frustration over the Centre's alleged silence, stating that despite his repeated appeals, there has been no response from the Ministry of External Affairs. When asked if he was politicising the issue, Mr Mann retorted, "Is this politicising, you tell me. We are political people and we have won on that basis, we are not an NGO. If caring about the honour of our youths and children is politics, then I will do it 24x7".

Mr Mann further questioned why the deportation flights are not being directed to other major airports. The Punjab Chief Minister asked if a plane carrying former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina can land at Hindon airport in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, and Rafale jets from France can land in Haryana's Ambala, why can't planes carrying deported Indians land in the national capital.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking in the Rajya Sabha last week, defended the government's stance, arguing that every country has an obligation to take back its nationals if they are found to be living illegally abroad. He also said that the deportations were carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under standard procedures in place since 2012.