DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday questioned the likely landing of another plane carrying illegal Indian immigrants from the US at the Amritsar airport as he hit out at the Centre, accusing it of trying to defame Punjab. A flight carrying as many as 119 illegal Indian immigrants is likely to land at Amritsar airport at around 10 pm on February 15, said official sources on Friday.

Among the 119 illegal Indian immigrants, 67 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

"The BJP-led Centre always discriminates against Punjab. It does not let go of any chance of defaming Punjab," alleged Mann, while addressing the media in Amritsar. "Under a conspiracy, they are trying to defame Punjab and Punjabis," he added. Mann said the first US plane carrying illegal Indian immigrants had 33 people from Haryana and Gujarat each and 30 from Punjab.

"Now the second plane (carrying illegal Indian immigrants) is coming. It will also land at Amritsar airport tomorrow. Why? What is the criterion for choosing Amritsar? The centre and Ministry of External Affairs should tell me. Why did you choose Amritsar and not the national capital? You did this to defame Punjab and Punjabis," said Mann.

"It is a deliberate attempt so that it appears that only Punjabis migrate illegally," Mann said.

He said deportation is a national problem. Lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is currently in the US, Mann asked whether he was bringing a "gift" from the country, referring to another plane of illegal Indian immigrants.

On February 5, a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian deportees landed at the Amritsar airport.

Mann also targeted the media, saying when the previous flight landed in Amritsar, none of the people from Gujarat were interviewed.

"Did you see any interviews of the deportees from Gujarat on national television? Only the interviews of Punjab's youths were shown. Even tomorrow, you (media) will go there to take their interview... We strongly object to the plane being made to land in Amritsar," he said.

"Punjab meets the nation's food needs, we are the food bowl of India, we (Punjabis) gave the maximum sacrifices during the country's freedom movement.

"Bhagat Singh was sure that India would become Independent, but he was concerned about whose hands the country would go into after gaining freedom," he said. Mann said the deportation comes when Modi is giving "jaadu ki jhappi" (hug) to US President Donald Trump.

"They are speaking on AI and tariffs and at the same time the US is sending back deportees," he said.

Replying to a question, Mann said you will not see any representative from the Centre to receive the deportees.

(editor@dailyworld.in)