“USA’s plane should not have been allowed to take off, go back”: Sanjay Raut criticises Centre

New Delhi [India], February 7 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised the Centre over the deportation of Indian immigrants from the US and argued that the “USA’s plane should not have been allowed to take off, go back.”

He suggested that the Indian government should have taken a more assertive role in protecting its citizens.

“For us, they are not criminals. The shackles on their feet and hands should have been removed… This was a violation of the law… USA’s plane should not have been allowed to take off and go back,” said Raut.

Raut argued that once these individuals entered Indian airspace, they should have been treated according to Indian laws, not as criminals.

Raut’s statement highlights the complexities of international immigration laws and the rights of individuals being deported. He emphasised that the Indian government should have taken a stronger stance in protecting the rights of its citizens, even if they were deemed illegal immigrants by the US.

Raut said, “They were illegal immigrants for America. However, Indian laws were applicable once their flight entered the Indian border.”

The remarks from the UBT leader come after a group of Indian nationals were deported from the US under strict immigration enforcement measures.

The incident has sparked debate over the treatment of deportees and diplomatic protocols between the two nations.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut also announced, “We (Rahul Gandhi, Supriya Sule, and Sanjay Raut) are holding a press conference at 12:30 pm today.”

A special press conference by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, party leader Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut will be held in Delhi.

Earlier, Raut on Thursday dismissed the exit polls predicting the outcome of the Delhi assembly elections, citing past discrepancies between pre-election surveys and actual results.

“Exit polls come and go. We also saw Maharashtra and Haryana exit polls; it looked like we were going to form the government. Things will be clear at 10 am on February 8,” Raut said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further asserted that exit polls had previously projected a victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra and Congress in Haryana, yet the final results differed.

Raut expressed confidence that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will come to power, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not win.

“The final decision will be out on February 8. The Exit Polls said that MVA will win in Maharashtra and Congress will win in Haryana… We are sure that the BJP will not win in Delhi and the AAP will come to power…,” he added.

Most of the exit polls predicted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is poised to form the next government in Delhi, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) falling behind, and that the Congress was likely to continue its dismal run in the assembly polls.

Exit poll predictions varied on the margin of BJP’s victory. One poll predicted the BJP could win 51-60 out of 70 assembly seats, while two polls forecast an AAP victory. The exit polls were released after the conclusion of voting on Wednesday.