Jaishankar meets PM Modi, to address Rajya Sabha on US deportations
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will address the Rajya Sabha at 2 p.m. today regarding the deportation of over 100 Indians from the United States. House Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the session on Thursday as Opposition MPs raised slogans demanding answers. Before his speech, Jaishankar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the issue.
On Wednesday, a U.S. military aircraft landed in Amritsar carrying 104 deported Indians. These individuals, from Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, faced removal due to stricter U.S. immigration enforcement. The U.S. has ramped up deportations, primarily targeting those who entered illegally or overstayed visas. This aligns with former President Donald Trump’s crackdown on an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.
The deportations have sparked political tensions in India. Opposition leaders criticized the government, demanding stronger diplomatic efforts to protect Indian nationals abroad. Meanwhile, the ruling party defended its approach, insisting on engagement with U.S. authorities to address immigration concerns.
In a separate parliamentary development, Prime Minister Modi is set to reply to the Rajya Sabha’s discussion on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s Address. On Tuesday, during his Lok Sabha speech, he took aim at the Aam Aadmi Party and its leader Arvind Kejriwal. His remarks came ahead of key voting in Delhi, adding another layer of political drama to the ongoing session.
As Jaishankar prepares to speak, all eyes are on the government’s response to the deportations and its strategy for handling immigration challenges in the U.S.
