Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Accuses Centre of Targeting State Over Deportation Flights

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has sharply criticized the central government for selecting Amritsar as the landing site for deportation flights carrying illegal Indian immigrants who have been expelled from the United States. Mann’s accusations come after a US military C-17 aircraft, which is expected to land at Amritsar International Airport on Saturday, carries 119 Indian nationals, including 67 from Punjab.

Mann’s remarks were a direct response to the controversial deportation of 104 Indians the previous week, a process that caused significant public outrage when reports emerged that the deportees had been chained and shackled during their return. According to Mann, the BJP-led government at the Centre is deliberately tarnishing Punjab’s reputation by making Amritsar the focal point for these deportation flights. He claimed that the Centre was using this issue as part of a broader conspiracy to defame the state and its people.

The deportees aboard the flight from the US include individuals from various states, including 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, and smaller numbers from Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the diversity of the deportees’ origins, Mann emphasized that the media coverage has disproportionately focused on those from Punjab. He pointed out that while many of the deported individuals were from other regions, interviews with deportees from Punjab were given prominence in national media, fueling what he called an unfair portrayal of the state.

In his comments, Mann specifically took issue with the selective focus on Punjabis, suggesting that the media’s attention on the province was a deliberate strategy to create the impression that illegal immigration is a predominantly Punjabi issue. He questioned why national news outlets were not giving similar coverage to deportees from other states like Gujarat and Haryana, whose numbers were also significant.

The Punjab CM’s criticism extended to the central government’s choice of Amritsar as the arrival point for deportation flights. He suggested that this decision was politically motivated and intended to malign Punjab. Mann pointed out that the timing of the flight’s landing was curious, asking whether the Indian government had a hand in selecting Amritsar for such incidents, particularly as it coincided with high-profile meetings, such as the one between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Why Amritsar?” Mann questioned. “Is it to defame Punjab? The Ministry of External Affairs should clarify the criteria for choosing Amritsar as the landing site. This looks like a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of Punjab.”

Responding to Mann’s accusations, the BJP dismissed the claims, accusing the Punjab Chief Minister of politicizing the issue. BJP leaders argued that Mann was using the deportation matter to further his political agenda, claiming that the entire issue was being blown out of proportion.

Despite the BJP’s rebuttal, Mann remained firm, reiterating that illegal immigration was a nationwide problem, and that it was wrong for the central government to make Punjab the scapegoat. He argued that the real issue was not the state from which the deportees came, but rather the broader issue of illegal immigration, which he insisted should be tackled on a national level.

Mann’s statements have sparked a fresh debate over the deportation process and the political motives behind how it is being handled. His accusations raise questions about the dynamics between Punjab and the central government, particularly regarding the ongoing tension over the portrayal of the state in national discourse.

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