On March 3, 2025, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) leader Jitendra Awhad staged a dramatic protest in Mumbai against the ongoing deportation of illegal Indian immigrants from the United States.
Awhad, a former Maharashtra minister, appeared in public wearing handcuffs, symbolizing the distress and humiliation faced by Indians being forcibly sent back from the US. He criticized the Indian government’s silence on the matter, arguing that many of these deportees had gone to America in search of a better life but are now being treated unfairly.
Awhad also questioned the US immigration policies, particularly the alleged mistreatment of deportees during detention and transit. He urged the Indian government to intervene diplomatically to ensure that Indian migrants are treated with dignity and given fair opportunities to regularize their status instead of facing abrupt expulsion.
The protest attracted significant public and media attention, with many supporters echoing concerns over the fate of thousands of undocumented Indians who are currently at risk of deportation from the US.
