Gandhinagar (Gujarat), February 19: Gujarat Congress MLAs staged a protest outside the State Assembly in Gandhinagar on Wednesday, voicing their opposition to the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the United States while being handcuffed and shackled.
The protesting Congress leaders gathered outside the Assembly and raised slogans such as “Bharatiya ka ye apman nahi sahega Hindustan” (India will not tolerate this disrespect against the Indians).
This protest comes after three illegal Indian immigrants from Gujarat were deported from the US and brought back to Ahmedabad on Monday. The deportation is part of a larger group of illegal immigrants; the third batch of 112 deportees arrived at Amritsar Airport on Sunday after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration. A previous batch of deported Indian citizens arrived in Amritsar on February 5.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had assured that all necessary arrangements were made for the deportees, including providing shelter in Amritsar before they were sent to their respective states. “Our kids are the ones who are coming here anyway, so no one will go hungry. We will make arrangements. They will stay here for a few hours and then proceed to their states,” Mann said in a press conference.
On February 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India’s willingness to repatriate its citizens who are living illegally in the US. He also emphasized the importance of eliminating human trafficking, while expressing confidence that US President Donald Trump would fully cooperate in this matter.
“Those who stay in other countries illegally have no legal right to be there. India is ready to take back its citizens who are living illegally in the US,” Modi said during a joint press conference with President Trump.