TMC's Sagarika Ghose moves privilege motion against Jaishankar over US deportation statement

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress has submitted a notice of breach of privilege against External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar charging him of failing to disclose the full extent of “mistreatment” faced by Indians deported from the United States earlier this month.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Sagarika Ghose submitted the letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on February 20 urging him to invoke the relevant provisions of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Rajya Sabha against the minister.

She cited Jaishankhar’s statement in Rajya Sabha on February 6 when he said the government was “engaging the US government to ensure that the returning deportees are not mistreated in any manner during the flight” and said the assurance given in Parliament was not adhered to.

Jaishankar’s statement came after the first flight with deportees landed in Amritsar on February 5 and the Opposition raised protests over transporting deportees in handcuffs and shackles.

Ghose claimed the deportees on the second flight on February 15 have provided “disturbing testimonies of mistreatment”, which contradicted the assurances given by the minister.

She said the deportees faced “physical restraints and inhumane treatment” and “torture and poor conditions in detention centres” and there was a failure on the part of the government in checking visa fraud.

Quoting testimonies of deportees, she said they were handcuffed and shackled throughout their journey and one person was forced to remove his turban. They had also claimed they were tortured and ill-treated and refused to give proper quantity of food.

“Given the serious discrepancies between the Minister’s statement and the first hand accounts of deportees, I request that this matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges. The Committee must investigate whether the Minister misled the House by failing to disclose the full extent of mistreatment faced by deported Indian nationals,” she wrote.

“I submit that the statements made by S Jaishankar prima facie constitute a breach of the Council as they mislead the House. Needless to say, the said statements were shameful,” she said.