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Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday supported Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's remarks on the arrival of the second flight in Amritsar carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the United States.
Speaking to ANI, Tewari asserted that the Central government could have landed the plane anywhere in the country but chose Amritsar to humiliate Punjab. "Why are these planes landing in Punjab? What is the kind of message you're trying to send? Are you trying to send a message that every illegal immigrant to the USA is from Punjab? Punjab CM is absolutely correct to that extent. There were people from Gujarat and Haryana. You could have landed this plane in Delhi or anywhere else. Why in Amritsar all the time?" he said. "Delhi does not understand that Punjab does not take very easily to humiliation and there is always a cost to pay when Delhi tries to humiliate Punjab," Tewari added. Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike also targeted the Centre and said that landing the planes in the state was a conspiracy to defame the state and to show that Punjabis are only illegal immigrants. "It is the misfortune of Punjab that the central governments have always tried to defame Punjab... Punjab is a border state, especially the district of Amritsar which is near the border. Landing the planes (carrying alleged illegal migrants to the US) here is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and to show that only Punjabis are illegal migrants. The planes can land somewhere else, too. We have been demanding that international flights should be started from Amritsar, but the centre does not permit it. But now foreign planes coming in are landed in Amritsar to defame us," Ranike told ANI. "Planes can land in Gujarat, Haryana, or any other international airport. People from all states have gone, not just from Punjab... This is a well-planned conspiracy. I request to the MEA and the PM that our planes be sent to bring them back. India should take a stand that their planes should not land in our country. I appeal that planes should be landed in other states too, not just in Punjab," he added. Earlier, CM Bhagwant Mann claimed that the second plane carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the US will land in Amritsar on Saturday. "There is a conspiracy to defame Punjab and Punjabis. The first plane landed in Amritsar. Now, a second plane (carrying Indian citizens who allegedly illegally migrated to the US) will land in Amritsar. The MEA should tell the criteria based on which Amritsar was selected to land the aircraft. You select Amritsar to defame Punjab. At the time when PM Modi and (US President) Trump were meeting, they (US authorities) must have been putting shackles on our people. Is this the gift Trump has given? America's military planes are landing in Amritsar, and an enemy country, Pakistan, is right next to it. Lahore is 40 km from there. What kind of foreign policy is this?" the Punjab CM said. He also questioned the Centre as to why Ahmedabad or any other place was not chosen. (ANI)
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