Deportation of Indians from US: LS adjourned for day amid uproar after Jaishankar makes statement

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day amid strong protests by opposition members on the deportation of Indians illegally living in the US.

The Lower House was earlier adjourned till 3:30 pm, its third adjournment for the day, amid vociferous protests by the opposition members on the issue.

When the Lok Sabha reconvened and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made a statement on the deportation issue, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings as the opposition members continued their protest.

Even when Jaishankar was making his statement, the opposition members were on their feet, raising slogans on the matter.

Amid the sloganeering, the external affairs minister said, "We are, of course, engaging with the US government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight." "At the same time, the House will appreciate that our focus should be on strong crackdown on the illegal migration industry while taking steps to ease visas for legitimate travellers," he said.

Jaishankar said the process of deportation was not new and it had happened in the past as well.

Earlier in the day, he had made a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue.

After the Lower House reconvened at 2 pm following its second adjournment, the opposition members kept insisting that the government answer their questions on the deportation issue and the alleged mistreatment of the deportees.

Amid the sloganeering, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal informed the Lower House that Jaishankar would make a statement on the deportations at 3:30 pm.

BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the chair, then adjourned the proceedings till 3:30 pm.

The Lok Sabha was in turmoil when it convened for the day. Speaker Birla tried to pacify the agitating members, saying that the government had taken serious note of their concerns.

"The issue is serious. It is a matter of foreign policy. The government has taken it seriously. The foreign country also has its own rules and regulations. You can raise your issues at 12 noon and allow the Question Hour to run smoothly," he said.

The Question Hour is important, he said.

"People have chosen you to raise their issues in the House but you are resorting to protests. This method is not good," he said.

With the first question of the day marked for TMC MP Kirti Azad, the speaker said, "You are not allowing the member of your associate party to raise his issues. You are systematically disrupting the House. This is not good." The protesting members ignored the speaker's pleas, following which Birla adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.

A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar airport on Wednesday. This was the first batch of Indians to be deported by the Donald Trump administration as part of a crackdown against illegal immigrants.

Of those deported, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh.