‘India should protest if deportees from US were handcuffed on flight’: Shashi Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor stated on Sunday that India ought to raise objections if the deportees from the United States were restrained by handcuffs and shackles during their flight.  He additionally mentioned that he was displeased with Americans opting for a military plane to return Indian deportees.

He also said that he was not happy about Americans choosing a military aircraft to send back Indian deportees.

“I am not happy about the Americans choosing to send a military aircraft,” Tharoor told . “I have not seen any report on whether these returnees were also handcuffed and shackled. If they were, we should definitely protest.”

The US military aircraft, carrying 117 illegal Indian immigrants, landed in Amritsar on Saturday night.

The C-17 plane, which arrived at Amritsar airport at approximately 11.35 pm on Saturday, was transporting the second group of Indians to be expelled by the Donald Trump administration as part of its efforts against illegal immigration. Deportees aboard the military plane asserted that they were shackled and their legs were bound throughout the flight.

Previously, on February 5, the US military’s C-17 plane transporting Indian deportees landed in Amritsar. A total of 104 Indian citizens were on the aircraft that arrived in Amritsar. Numerous deportees asserted that their arms and legs were restrained for the entire trip and they were freed from their shackles only upon arrival in Amritsar.

This sparked national anger, prompting the opposition to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the matter with the US during his trip to Washington. Following a significant outcry in India, New Delhi communicated its worries to Washington regarding the treatment of deportees.