Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held an ‘excellent’ telephonic conversation with his American counterpart on Thursday. The interaction came amid continued furore over the deportation of more than a hundred ‘illegal’ migrants to India earlier this week. Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also slated to visit Washington in next week and hold meetings with US President Donald Trump.
“We reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation and explored ways and means to expand and deepen the India -US bilateral defence relationship. We also agreed to chart out an ambitious agenda which includes operational, intelligence, logistics and defence-industrial cooperation. Looking forward to work closely with Secretary Hegseth,” Singh wrote on X.
Reports indicate that PM Modi is also likely to meet with Trump next week on February 13. The POTUS is also likely to host a dinner for the Indian leader during his visit. According to a Hindustan Times report, Modi will reach the US last on February 12 after wrapping up his visit to France. He is also expected to have engagements with US corporate leaders during his visit. Indian authorities have not officially confirmed the details of his itinerary.
Meanwhile controversy raged in Parliament on Thursday as Opposition leaders fumed over the deportation of 104 ‘illegal’ immigrants from the US. The deportees claimed their hands and legs were cuffed throughout the journey and that they were unshackled only after landing in Amritsar. Visuals shared online appeared to corroborate this claim — sparking widespread outrage and protests. Critics have termed the issue an “insult to India” and demanded immediate government intervention.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar however assured that New Delhi was engaging with the US to ensure that deported Indians were not mistreated. He also reiterated the need to crack down strongly on the illegal migration industry.
(With inputs from agencies)
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