Did US deport Sikhs without turbans, women in shackles? America answers India's query
The central government said that it strongly objected to the reports that Sikh deportees were asked to remove their turban
The United States has responded after the government of India raised formal concerns about the treatment of Indians deported from the US in the three military flights last month.
The concerns raised were particularly in relation to religious sensitivities and food preferences, minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The central government said that it strongly objected to the reports that Sikh deportees were asked to remove their turbans, while women and children were shackled while being deported to India.
“The Ministry has strongly registered its concerns with the US authorities on the treatment meted out to deportees on the flight that landed on February 5th, particularly with respect to use of shackles, especially on women. The US side has confirmed that no women or children were restrained on the deportation flights that landed in India on February 15th and 16th, respectively,” the house was told.
Singh said that US authorities have responded to New Delhi's concerns, clarifying that no deportee was asked to remove religious head coverings and the only accommodation during their flights was vegetarian meals.
"In response, the US authorities have conveyed that deportees on the three chartered flights that arrived on 5th, 15th and 16th February 2025 respectively were not instructed to remove any religious head coverings and that the deportees did not request any religious accommodation during the flights, aside from requesting for vegetarian meals,” Kirti Vardhan Singh said.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has also clarified that some detainees had already arrived at the US border “without turbans.”
The three military flights to deport Indians
After Donald Trump assumed office as the US President for the second time on January 20, he took a hardline approach on immigration. Three separate military flights carrying hundreds of Indian nationals, who had illegally entered the US, landed in Punjab's Amritsar in February.
Some deportees accused the Donald Trump administration of mistreatment, suggesting that they were asked to remove their turbans. Women deportees were reported to be put in shackles while being transported in the C-17 aircraft.
The opposition questioned the Narendra Modi government about the alleged mistreatment of Indian nationals. The government's response can be seen as an attempt to put down the speculations around the issue.
