Will next batch of deportees return from US in chains too: Tewari to govt
Congress MP Manish Tewari today sought to know from the government whether another batch of illegal immigrants, who have been identified as Indians, will be brought back from the US in chains although they are not criminals and had just gone abroad to earn a livelihood.
During Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Tewari raised the issue of around 24,000 illegal immigrants currently in the US custody. He said, “As many as 487 have been issued final deportation orders and 287 of them were identified as Indians.”
“The Indians in custody are not terrorists, but had gone to the US to earn a livelihood. Therefore, I want to know whether they will be brought back to India in chains and handcuffs,” said the Chandigarh MP amid chants of “Shame! Shame!” by fellow party lawmakers.
At this point, Tewari’s mike was switched off. He later said, “It was extremely unfortunate that my microphone was turned off when I put forth the sensitive issue of Indians detained in the US being deported back in handcuffs and shackles, completely robbed of basic human dignity and rights”.
Tewari added that he had only enquired from the Centre if it considered such treatment on undocumented Indians fair as they went to the US in search of a better life and weren’t terrorists or criminals per se. “My mike was turned off when I expressed my anguish and anger over the Foreign Minister’s statement justifying the behaviour of the Trump Administration. I wish the BJP members had joined me in condemning this absolutely reprehensible behaviour meted out to our fellow citizens,” the MP said.
Last week, 100-odd Indians were sent back by the US to India in a defence aircraft, handcuffed and chained. The group included women and children and belonged to Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and MP, evoking a strong reaction from the opposition, even as minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament that it was not a new development and the use of restraints on the deportees was a “standard operating procedure”.
