DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expressed hope on Tuesday that if another US plane carrying deportees arrives in India, it may not land in the state following strong objections raised against the landing of three such aircraft earlier in Amritsar. "I strongly opposed it (the landing of US planes carrying deportees) in Amritsar," Mann said when asked why the aircraft bringing illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar airport.

"But now I feel that the impact of that opposition will be that if another plane comes, it will at least not land in Amritsar or in Punjab," the chief minister said while talking to reporters in Sardulgarh.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had earlier questioned the BJP-led Centre's move to allow the three US military planes bringing deportees to land in Amritsar.

He had accused the Centre of trying to defame Punjab under a conspiracy. While condemning the Centre, Mann had even asked it not to make the holy city a "deport centre". He had said the government should allow these planes to land at other airports like Delhi.

Mann had said deportation is a national problem, but it is being made to appear that only Punjabis migrate illegally.

Three US aircraft with illegal Indian immigrants hailing from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and some other states landed at the Amritsar airport on February 5, February 15 and February 16 amid a crackdown by the Donald Trump government against illegal immigrants. Replying to another question on deportees, Mann said, "We will give them opportunities. If any of them clears the exams for the posts of patwari, deputy superintendent of police or sub-divisional officer, they will be given jobs. We will not let them go into depression." / PTI /

(editor@dailyworld.in)