
New Delhi: The United States has reiterated that while it welcomes legitimate travelers, it "cannot and will not tolerate" illegal entry or misuse of visas.
The statement comes amid outrage over a video showing an Indian student handcuffed and pinned to the floor at Newark Liberty Airport, allegedly before being deported.
Indirectly defending the action against the student, the US Embassy in India said in a post on X:
"The United States continues to welcome legitimate travellers to our country. However, there is no right to visit the United States. We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of US law."
Congress Demands Modi Speak Up
Following the incident, the Indian National Congress has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a firm stand and appeal to then-US President Donald Trump to stop the "mistreatment and atrocities" against Indian citizens in the United States.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government for what he described as repeated failures to uphold the dignity of Indians abroad.
"For the first time, a US head of state has declared a ceasefire between India and Pakistan from Washington DC. President Trump continues to claim credit for pressuring India, while Prime Minister Modi remains silent—not just on this but also on the growing number of atrocities against Indians in the US," Ramesh posted on X.
He added,
"We demand that Prime Minister Modi speak directly with President Trump and intervene to protect Indian students and citizens facing fear and mistreatment in the US."
‘Too Painful to Watch’
Congress Media and Publicity Department chairman Pawan Khera also weighed in, sharing a post by Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain, who had posted the video of the student’s treatment at the airport.
Khera said:
"This is too painful, too humiliating, and too distressing to watch. As a nation, why should we tolerate such humiliation?"
He compared the current scenario to the 2013 Devyani Khobragade incident, when India had strongly protested the treatment of one of its diplomats by US authorities.
"From standing up to the US then, to now watching our citizens being treated like criminals—have we lost all global goodwill?" he asked.
In his original post, Kunal Jain described witnessing the scene firsthand:
"I saw a young Indian student being deported from Newark Airport last night—handcuffed, crying, treated like a criminal. He came chasing a dream, not to cause harm. As an NRI, I felt helpless and heartbroken. This is a human tragedy."
The Indian Consulate in New York has stated that it is in touch with local authorities regarding the incident.
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