Women, Children ‘Not Restrained’ In 2nd Deportation Flight To Amritsar: Report

New Delhi:

Women and children were not restrained on the deportation flight carrying the second batch of Indian nationals that arrived in Amritsar on February 15, sources confirmed to ANI.

Meanwhile, the aircraft carrying the third batch of Indian nationals who had allegedly migrated illegally to the US also landed at Amritsar Airport on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured that the deportees would be treated properly and that all necessary arrangements had been made.

The Chief Minister stated that the deportees would stay in Amritsar for a few hours before being taken to their respective states.

“Our kids are the ones which are coming here anyway, so from here no one can go hungry, we will make arrangements. We have also made staying arrangements for them. They will stay here for a few hours and then go to their respective states as the flights have been booked by the Ministry of External Affairs already,” Mr Mann said in a press conference in Amritsar on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, CM Mann came down heavily at the Centre over the treatment of deported Indian nationals, who had allegedly illegally migrated to the US.Alleging a conspiracy to ‘defame’ Punjabis.

Mr Mann said, “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 tell the criteria based on which Amritsar was selected to land the aircraft. You select Amritsar to defame Punjab.”

This was the second such flight of deportees which has landed in Amritsar Airport after US President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Earlier on February 5, a US Air Force plane carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the US arrived in Punjab’s Amritsar.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is willing to take back its nationals if they live illegally in the United States and laid emphasis on the need to finish the “ecosystem” of human trafficking. PM Modi also expressed confidence that Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem.

“Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there. As far as India and the US are concerned, we have always said that those who are verified and are truly the citizens of India – if they live in the US illegally, India is ready to take them back,” PM Modi said, answering a query at the joint press conference with President Trump after their bilateral talks.

He said most of the people staying illegally are from ordinary families and are misguided by human traffickers.

“But it doesn’t stop just there for us. These are people from ordinary families. They are shown big dreams and most of them are such who are misled and brought here. So, we should attack this entire system of human trafficking. Together, it should be the effort of the US and India to destroy such an ecosystem from its roots so that human trafficking ends…Our bigger fight is against that entire ecosystem, and we are confident that President Trump will fully cooperate with India in finishing this ecosystem,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)