US set to send 7.25 lakh Indians back after branding them as illegal immigrants: Cong leader
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI): Congress leader Rajeev Shukla claimed on Tuesday that the United States is set to send as many as 7.25 lakh Indians back after terming them illegal immigrants.
Shukla said he was told this during a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee of the external affairs ministry.
The Congress leader wondered what these people would do once they are back in India as they have been living in the US for years and have nothing left here.
"Attended a meeting of the foreign ministry of Parliament. There I came to know that the US is sending back 7.25 lakh Indians by calling them illegal," Shukla said in a post in Hindi on X.
"These lakhs of people have been living there for years. They earn well. In India, they have nothing left. What will they do after coming here? They have suddenly become poor from rich," the former Union minister said.
Shukla, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, is a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs.
A US military aircraft is reportedly bringing a group of Indian migrants, in the first such deportation to India as part of a big crackdown on illegal immigrants ordered by President Donald Trump in his second term at the White House.
Without directly commenting on the deportation flight carrying the Indians, a spokesperson at the US embassy here said Washington is tightening immigration laws and removing illegal migrants.
The US action comes in the midst of India and the US finalising various aspects of a likely visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington from February 12 to February 13.
India is opposed to illegal immigration because of its links to several forms of organised crime, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last month, adding that New Delhi will take back all Indians who have either overstayed in the US or are there without documentation.
आज संसद की विदेश मंत्रालय की बैठक में भाग लिया ।वहाँ पता चला कि सवा सात लाख भारतीयों को अमेरिका वापस अवैध बता कर भेज रहा है । ये लाखों लोग बीसों साल से वहाँ रह रहे हैं । अच्छी कमाई है भारत में उनका कुछ नहीं बचा है यहाँ आकर वे करेंगे क्या? वे तो अचानक अमीर से ग़रीब हो गए ।
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) February 4, 2025
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
