‘Trying to defame Punjab’: Bhagwant Mann asks why Amritsar chosen for landing another plane carrying Indian deportees

Donald Trump's immigration crackdown: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday slammed the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, and asked why Amritsar airport had been chosen for the landing of another plane carrying deported illegal Indian immigrants from the US.

The remark comes as two more flights carrying over 100 Indians deported by the Trump administration as part of a crackdown are set to arrive at Guru Ram Dass International Airport in Amritsar on February 15 and February 16.

The plane is expected to land at the airport around 10 pm on Saturday.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre, Mann also alleged that attempts are being made to defame Punjab, and questioned why the first plane did not land in Ahmedabad.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day US visit, the Punjab chief minister also asked if the plane arriving was a gift from Donald Trump.

“A second plane carrying (Indian citizens who 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,” Mann noted.

Stating that the Centre selected Amritsar to defame Punjab, Mann added, "So, at the time when PM Modi and (US President) Trump were meeting, they (US authorities) must have been putting shackles on our people. Is this the gift Trump has given?"

It is being said that out of the 119 illegal immigrants, 67 hail from Punjab and that's why the plane will land in Amritsar, said Mann, asking, “If that's the case, then why didn't the first plane land in Ahmedabad?”

Meanwhile, the BJP hit-back at Mann, saying AAP leaders do not care about the security of the country.

"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 told ANI.

On February 5, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Trump government arrived at Amritsar Airport on a C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the US Air Force.

Many Indians, who entered the US through the "donkey route" or other illegal means by spending lakhs of rupees, are now facing deportation.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has expressed hope that Modi conveyed to Trump that deporting Indians in shackles on a military aircraft was not right.