The politics in Punjab has heated as a second US flight carrying 12 Indian deportees is set to land in Amritsar on Saturday night. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has slammed the Centre over the landing of the flight in Amritsar alleging the move will defame Punjab.
The Indian citizens have been deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of its promised crackdown on illegal migration.
According to reports, among the deportees, 67 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight are from Gujarat, three are from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each is from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Mann Govt Failed To Address Human Trafficking: Congress
Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP have also trained guns on the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government. Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government has failed to address human trafficking over the past year.
He referred to the Punjab Prevention of Human Smuggling Act 2012, which intended to regulate travel agents and prevent illegal migration. The Congress legislator asked how many travel agents had been prosecuted under the law since Mann took office.
"Can Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the Home Portfolio, let the Punjabis know how many travel agents have been booked under the same law in the last three years?" he asked.
Don't Make Amritsar Deportation Centre: Mann
On Saturday, Mann held a press conference over the issue saying, "Do not make our holy city (Amritsar) a deport centre." There are many airbases in the country and the flight can be landed at any one of them, the Punjab chief minister said.
He said Amritsar is known for the Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir, Ram Tirath Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Gobindgarh Fort. "Will they allow landing (of deportation flights) at Vatican City, if they (deportees) hail from there?" Mann posed.
"I still say divert it (this flight). They can land the plane at Hindon or Delhi airport," he added.
BJP Hits Back With 'Unemployment' Jibe
Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at the Mann government alleging it "failed to generate employment in the state."
"Bhagwant Mann has no right to ask questions but today he has to give answers. He should answer, why is the youth of Punjab leaving Punjab? Is it because AAP has miserably failed to generate employment," said BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill.