Centre admits deporting Afghan woman MP was 'a mistake', Mallikarjun Kharge said

The Centre expressed deporting Afghan MP Rangina Kargar was a "mistake", Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge informed at a presser.

New Delhi: In the matter related to the deportation of woman Afghan MP Rangina Kargar, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday (August 27, 2021) said the Centre expressed regret over the deportation of a the parliamentarian as a "mistake". The Centre also said that it would ensure such an incident is not repeated in the future.

The matter was raised in an all-party briefing on Afghanistan conducted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "We raised the issue of a female (Afghan) diplomat who was deported. They said that they made a mistake, it won`t be repeated and they will look into the matter," Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said.

Addressing reporters at the briefing after the meet, Kharge said the government is of the view of "wait and watch" before taking any action with respect to the situation in Afganistan and added that all parties supported the Centre on the matter.

"This is the entire country`s problem. We have to work together for the interests of people and the nation. They told us to wait and watch. Meaning, the further course of action will be decided after looking at the actions of other countries. All parties have taken the same view," he said.

The matter came to light when the parliamentarian alleged that she was deported two hours after arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 20 from Istanbul, as per a report published by the Indian Express. However, she was not able to clear immigration and she claims she was deported from the IGI airport two hours upon her arrival.

Earlier, government officials said Kargar failed to show any documents of her medical treatment in India nor any reference from the Afghanistan Embassy. According to a senior government official, Kargar had arrived at IGI Airport on a Dubai flight and held a diplomatic passport, however, after the turmoil in Afghanistan, all kinds of visas had been cancelled with the exception of e-visas, which are the only ones allowed."