Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], February 15 : Congress MP Manish Tewari has expressed his support for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s remarks regarding the arrival of the second flight in Amritsar, carrying Indian citizens who allegedly migrated illegally to the United States.
In an interview with ANI, Tewari questioned the Central government’s decision to land the plane in Amritsar, suggesting that the government could have chosen any other location in India but deliberately selected Amritsar to humiliate the state.
“Why are these planes landing in Punjab? What is the kind of message you’re trying to send? Are you trying to send a message that every illegal immigrant to the USA is from Punjab? Punjab CM is absolutely correct to that extent. There were people from Gujarat and Haryana. You could have landed this plane in Delhi or anywhere else. Why in Amritsar all the time?” Tewari stated.
He also noted that Punjab does not tolerate humiliation easily, adding, “Delhi does not understand that Punjab does not take very easily to humiliation and there is always a cost to pay when Delhi tries to humiliate Punjab.”
Former Punjab Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Gulzar Singh Ranike also criticized the Centre, calling the decision to land the planes in Punjab a deliberate attempt to defame the state and label Punjabis as illegal immigrants.
“It is the misfortune of Punjab that the central governments have always tried to defame Punjab… Punjab is a border state, especially the district of Amritsar which is near the border. Landing the planes here is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and to show that only Punjabis are illegal migrants. The planes can land somewhere else, too,” Ranike told ANI.
Ranike added that the Centre had refused to approve international flights from Amritsar, but now foreign planes carrying allegedly illegal migrants were being diverted there to tarnish the state’s image. He further requested that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Prime Minister Modi ensure that future flights land in other states rather than only in Punjab.
Earlier, CM Bhagwant Mann had voiced similar concerns, claiming that the decision to land the planes in Amritsar was part of a broader conspiracy to tarnish Punjab’s reputation. Mann questioned why Ahmedabad or another location wasn’t selected and emphasized that the proximity of Amritsar to Pakistan, with Lahore just 40 kilometers away, made it an inappropriate choice for landing foreign planes.
“There is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis. The first plane landed in Amritsar. Now, a second plane will land in Amritsar. The MEA should explain why Amritsar was selected. You are using Amritsar to defame Punjab. What kind of foreign policy is this?” Mann said.
The ongoing controversy reflects rising tensions between Punjab and the Central government regarding the treatment of the state in matters of national policy.