Protests rock Parliament as Opposition rakes up ‘inhuman’ deportation

Images of Indian nationals, handcuffed and manacled, being led into a US military aircraft led to a furore in Parliament on Thursday as the Opposition demanded answers for the “undignified and inhuman” treatment meted out to the deported individuals by Washington.

The uproar forced multiple adjournments in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha. Opposition MPs also staged a demonstration in the Parliament complex, protesting ill-treatment of the deportees by the US.

The Lok Sabha was first adjourned until 2 pm as Opposition members insisted on a discussion on the issue. Speaker Om Birla attempted to pacify the agitated members, stating that the government had taken note of their concerns.

With the first question of the day allotted to Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad, Birla remarked, “You are not allowing a member of your associate party to raise his issues. You are systematically disrupting the House. This is not good.” Despite the Speaker’s appeals, the protesting members continued their demonstration, prompting Birla to adjourn the proceedings until 12 noon.

Protests flared up again when the Lok Sabha reconvened at 2 pm. Deputy Speaker Dilip Saikia, who was presiding, adjourned the House until 3.30 pm and announced that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar would make a statement on the deportation issue when the House resumed. However, the chaos persisted even after Jaishankar delivered his statement, leading Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were adjourned until 12 noon shortly after the session began at 11 am, as Opposition members protested the Chair’s rejection of their notices to discuss the deportation issue. During Question Hour, Congress member Syed Naseer Hussain claimed that PM Modi had once campaigned for former US President Donald Trump, yet this did not prevent Trump from deporting Indians in handcuffs and chains. Jaishankar responded, saying that Modi had never campaigned for Trump.

Opposition members, holding placards and chanting slogans such as “Trump Modi bhai bhai”, staged a demonstration on Parliament premises. The protest was attended by prominent Opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and P Sandosh Kumar. Participants displayed handcuffs and chains to highlight the harsh treatment of the deportees.

Shashi Tharoor, Congress Lok Sabha MP and former Minister of State for External Affairs, expressed the Opposition’s dismay over the manner in which the deported Indians were treated. “They ought to have been sent back in a civilian plane and should not have been put in cuffs and chains,” he said.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also questioned the government’s response, asking, “There was a lot of talk about Modi ji and Trump being good friends. Why did Modi ji let this happen then? Couldn’t we have sent our plane to get them?”