New Delhi [India], February 9: Amid the controversy surrounding the deportation of Indian nationals from the United States, Congress MP Manish Tewari raised concerns about the conditions faced by undocumented Indians in the US, particularly those detained.
Citing estimates from the US, Tewari revealed that there are approximately 725,000 undocumented Indians in the country, with 24,000 currently in detention. He questioned whether India would allow these individuals to be returned in degrading conditions, particularly while External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar continues to attend international conferences.
Tewari shared a post on X, stating, “According to US estimates, there are 7.25 lakh undocumented Indians in the United States. 24,000 Indians are in US detention camps. 487 individuals have been served final detention orders, and 298 out of these have been confirmed as Indians.” He further criticized Jaishankar’s inaction, writing, “Would 7.25 lakh Indians be dumped back in India handcuffed and shackled, stripped of their basic human rights and dignity in US military planes, while @DrSJaishankar travels the world attending inane conferences?”
Earlier, Tewari had expressed his disapproval of Jaishankar’s comments in the Lok Sabha regarding the deportations, accusing the Minister of defending the use of handcuffs and shackles by the Trump administration. He described Jaishankar’s statement as “deeply shocking and acutely disturbing,” stating that the Minister’s stance seemed more aligned with a “mid-level official of the US government” than with India’s Foreign Minister.
Tewari also questioned Jaishankar’s decision to authenticate US documents in the Lok Sabha, saying it raised doubts about the government’s priorities. “This makes one seriously question the intent of the Government of India regarding where their concern truly lies,” Tewari wrote.
Notably, a US Air Force plane carrying Indian nationals who had “illegally immigrated” to the US arrived in Amritsar, Punjab, on Wednesday, with 104 deported individuals on board. Opposition parties have criticized the government for the “inhuman manner” in which these individuals were deported, accusing the US of mistreating the detainees and bringing them in “handcuffed and shackled.”