Senior India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai sparked a controversy after he hosted Satpal Singh, a deportee who was sent back by the US after a failed illegal immigration bid, for the ongoing India Today Conclave. During his interview, Sardesai asked Singh to share his experience of being deported from the US despite spending a huge amount of money to enter the country.
Sharing his experience, the man said that the deportees were chained by the US authorities and kept for 15 days in Panama and 5 days in San Diego, California. He said that the deportees were kept in extremely cold temperatures. “They kept us in extremely cold temperatures. Even if one of us was sick or had a fever, they refused to give us medicine. They tortured after every hour,” Singh told Sardesai. Singh also alleged that Indians are treated like animals in the United States.
The grueling tale of illegal immigrants deported from the US in their own words. Listen in to the horror faced by one of the deportees, Satpal Singh, who was duped of 55 Lakh rupees in the name of getting US Visa.
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) March 7, 2025
#IndiaTodayConclave25 @sardesairajdeep pic.twitter.com/Avc3xpxfFy
Responding to Sardesai’s question as to why and how he entered the United States and whether he took the ‘dunki route’, Singh said that he was conned by his travel agent who promised to help him enter the US legally but later went back on his word and made him illegally enter the US through Suriname. “My agent got me a visa to Suriname and assured me that since I was educated I would enter the US from there through a flight. On reaching Suriname, I lost my phone and was not able to contact my family for 4-5 days. When I got a phone I talked to my family and asked them to talk to the agent who was now telling me to enter the US through a ‘2 number way’ (illegally). I did not want to enter the country illegally, ” Singh claimed. Satpal Singh, a resident of Firozpur district in Punjab, said that he was forced to go to the US due to poverty as he did not find any job here in India.
Notably, Singh, who sold his land to pay ₹55 lakhs to the travel agent, said that he lost his father due to poverty. He said that his father suffered from kidney failure and because he had no money he could not pay for his dialysis. He added that his mother has also undergone heart surgery. Therefore, he decided to go to the US to seek job opportunities.
It is worth noting that the US has invariably deported illegal immigrants back to India, even before PM Modi’s ascension to power. But the recent deportation of illegal Indian immigrants sparked discussions online, for it was perhaps the first time that the deportees were handcuffed with their legs chained. But since poignant pictures of Indians handcuffed and chained swept the internet, a raft of pro-Congress journalists and political commentators sought to use the incidents to target the Modi government.
People call out Rajdeep Sardesai for promoting illegal immigration
One such attempt was underway at the India Today Conclave where Rajdeep tried to humanise a criminal who spent a whooping Rs 55 lakhs seeking greener pastures abroad. Predictably, social media was unrelenting in calling out Rajdeep for platforming a man involved in criminal activities and allowing him to play the victim.
Popular X user @GabbbarSingh expressed his disapproval, stating that it was unbecoming of India Today to offer centre stage and allow someone involved in illegal immigration to play the victim. He stated that someone who could spend Rs 55 lakhs for a non-life threatening migration could not be a victim and sarcastically added if the channel would promote ‘Dunky Vikas Yojana’ to compensate such people.
Really poor from India today. Giving Criminals who illegally crossed borders a centre stage and letting them play victim. These aren’t the poor. Someone who could afford 55L for a non-life threatening migration isn’t a victim. What next a Dunky Vikas Yojna where you compensate… https://t.co/GYLbGr6Ayi
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) March 8, 2025
Padma Shree Awardee Mohandas Pai wrote on X questioning Sardesai for glorifying illegal immigrants and peddling a victimhood narrative. “Why are you glorifying a person who paid huge sums for human trafficking, broke laws, went illegally and was deported, and creating a victimhood narrative? Big Shame! They were not duped. They knew it was illegal, and paid huge sums. If they had invested this money here they would be well off. Pl stop promoting such illegal activities by glorifying them,” wrote Pai.
@sardesairajdeep why are you glorifying a person who paid huge sums for human trafficking, broke laws, went illegally and was deported, and creating a victimhood narrative? Big shame! They were not duped. They knew it was illegal, paid huge sums. If they had invested this money… https://t.co/Ft2xPvtyPc
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) March 8, 2025
Responding to Pai”s comment, Sradesai defended himself saying that he was not glorifying anyone but only sharing the stories of people who took the ‘dunki route’ after being duped by travel agents. “Oh common @TVMohandasPai baab: no one is ‘glorifying anyone’. Far from it. But it is important to hear the stories of those who took the ‘dunki’ route, often duped by unscrupulous agents. Many of them are ‘victims’ and not villains. Ask yourself this instead: why do so many Indians feel the need to sell off their land to try their luck abroad? Very easy to sit in or cushy world of privilege and target those much less fortunate. Rehabilitate them instead of targeting them. At least listen to them before judging them!” wrote Sardesai.
Oh cmon @TVMohandasPai baab: no one is ‘glorifying’ anyone. Far from it. But it is important to hear the stories of those who took the ‘dunki’ route, often duped by unscrupulous agents. Many of them are ‘victims’ and not villains. Ask yourself this instead: why do so many Indians… https://t.co/pKW0hCikNk
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) March 8, 2025
Considering that Satpal Singh spent ₹55 lakh to go to the US, it is difficult to believe that he was a ‘less fortunate’ ‘victim’ of the fraud. Even if one believed that Satpal Singh was defrauded by his travel agent, it is impossible to believe that he could not realise that he was being duped by his agent into using a treacherous means to enter the US, which could stand the risk of arrest and subsequent deportation.
However, after being accused of glorifying illegal immigrants, Rajdeep pulled out the emotional calling card, painting Singh as a victim and urging his followers to wonder why Indians feel the need to sell off their lands to try their luck abroad. “Very easy to sit in our cushy world of privilege and target those much much less fortunate. Rehabilitate them instead of targeting them. At least listen to them before judging them!” Sardesai pontificated.
But someone who risked Rs 55 lakhs in pursuit of a better life abroad definitely is not “less fortunate” as Sardesai would have us believe. In fact, if anything, the person could be termed as “delusional” for pursuing the American dream without having a place to dwell and a job to work.
When individuals commit crimes due to delusions, they can no longer be considered “less fortunate.” While the force of the situation compels some to commit crimes, they are not glorified or downplayed as victims, and certainly not invited to luxury hotels for Conclaves to narrate their side of the story.
