Why military plane landed in Amritsar and not in Delhi? Opposition echoes similar concerns amid deportation row
PTC News Desk: Amid row over the return of Indian nationals from the United States in Punjab on Wednesday, state ruled AAM Aadmi Party has raised several questions concerning the destination. Punjab AAP president Aman Arora has questioned that why military plane landed in Amritsar.
“When the deportees are from the whole country, why was Amritsar chosen as a location for landing the aircraft? Aman Arora questioned.
“The Centre has always given Punjab step-motherly treatment. People (deportees) from other states are more than those from Punjab. By leaving the national capital and choosing Amritsar for landing this aircraft, it raises a question mark,” Arora added.
The aircraft carried 104 deportees including children aged 8 to 10 years, from Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Maharashtra. The highest number of deportees are from Gujarat and Haryana with 33 each followed by 30 from Punjab and 2 from Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh. While three deportees belonged to Maharashtra.
Meanwhile echoeing similar concerns, Congress has also questioned Centre's decision to land US military aircraft C-17 carrying deported Indians in Amritsar instead of national capital while alleging that the city was chosen while keeping in mind 'perception' and 'narrative building'.
Congress MLA from Jalandhar cantt Pargat Singh has alleged that Central government is running a defaming narrative against Punjab by facilitating landing of US military flight carrying deportees in Amritsar instead of national capital. He also further questioned that decision as the returnees included people from across the country.
"When Punjab demands international flights, permissions are granted only to Delhi airports to deny Punjab economic benefits. But when it comes to running a defaming narrative, a U.S. deportation flight lands in Punjab—even though most deportees are from Gujarat and Haryana," Singh wrote on social media platform X.
- PTC NEWS
