CHANDIGARH: Accusing Centre of attempting to tarnish Punjab's reputation, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday questioned about the potential landing of another plane carrying illegal Indian immigrants at Amritsar airport.
Official sources said that a flight carrying 119 illegal Indian immigrants from the US is expected to arrive at Amritsar airport over the weekend.
Of the 119 immigrants, 67 are from Punjab, 33 from Haryana, 8 from Gujarat, 3 from Uttar Pradesh, 2 each from Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, according to the sources.
Slamming the Centre for always discriminating against Punjab, Maan said the BJP-led Centre does not let go of any chance of defaming Punjab.
The Chief Minister was addressing the media in Amritsar.
"Under a conspiracy, they are trying to defame Punjab and Punjabis," he said.
Mann said earlier, that 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 do you choose Amritsar? You choose to defame Punjab and Punjabis," said Mann. He said deportation is a national problem.
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.
Mann slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in the US, questioning whether he was bringing a "gift" back from the country, referring to another plane carrying illegal Indian immigrants.
Congress MLA Pargat Singh voiced similar concerns, describing the repeated landings of deportation flights in Punjab as "unfortunate."
"While there are people from Punjab among the deportees, why are flights not landing in other states?" he questioned.
"Prime Minister Modi, who is currently in the US, must raise this issue with the US administration and ask why our youth are being deported in handcuffs and chains," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
