Just as the outrage over the U.S. deporting 104 Indians with their hands and feet chained, akin to British colonial-era shackles, has not yet subsided, New Delhi has finalized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi will visit the U.S. on Wednesday and Thursday.
A day before this announcement, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, appearing helpless in Parliament, admitted, “The U.S. has its rules regarding deportation, and they have deported Indian nationals in accordance with those rules.” Despite Jaishankar acknowledging in Parliament that India agrees with the U.S. actions, there has been widespread outrage across the country over the incident. While the Modi government has been unable to prevent this inhumane act by the U.S., opposition political parties continue to protest against what they deem an insult to the nation. Amid this tense situation, questions are being raised about the rationale behind the Prime Minister’s visit to the U.S.
As Modi’s U.S. visit schedule is being finalized, the Trump administration is preparing to deport another 487 Indians. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that these individuals were identified as Indian nationals by the Modi government itself. Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishra disclosed this information, stating that the number of deported Indians could be even higher. However, the Ministry of External Affairs has not confirmed whether they will be deported before Modi’s visit or if they will also be shackled during deportation.
New Delhi takes pride in Modi being the third world leader invited by Trump, following Benjamin Netanyahu and Japan’s Shigeru Ishiba. During his visit, Modi will discuss trade tariffs and the issue of illegal Indian immigrants with Trump. Notably, in response to Trump’s pressure, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has already announced a reduction in tariffs on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the budget.