Afghan MP Rangina Kargar arrived at Delhi airport on August 20 from Istanbul on a Fly Dubai flight. However, she was not let out of the airport

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the government expressed regret over the deportation of a woman Afghan MP from Delhi after the issue was raised at an all-party meeting convened to brief on the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

Afghan MP Rangina Kargar arrived at Delhi airport on August 20 from Istanbul on a Fly Dubai flight. However, she was not let out of the airport as immigration officials asked her to wait. The Afghan MP alleged that she was deported from the airport two hours after reaching Delhi and was sent back by the same airline to Istanbul via Dubai.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said the deportation of the woman Afghan MP was “a mistake" and assured the meeting that such a mistake will not be repeated, Kharge told reporters.

“At the meeting, we raised the issue of deportation of a woman MP. He (Jaishankar) said it was a mistake and such an incident will not happen in the future. They (government) regretted it," he said.

The Congress leader said his party raised various issues and concerns at the meeting and suggested that the government keep the interest as well as the safety of Afghan citizens in mind, along with the safety of Afghan students in India.

“He (Jaishankar) replied to the issues raised by us. Now, we will see how much of this is implemented," he said.

Kharge said the situation in Afghanistan is a concern for the entire country.

“We want to talk unitedly. All parties have taken the same view," he added.

Asked if the Congress was satisfied with the meeting, Kharge said, “We will wait and see. They (government) have replied. We will have to see how much they implement…. We will see how they evacuate those who are still left in Afghanistan. We will see what will be our stand vis-à-vis other countries."

Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Anand Sharma were also present at the meeting, besides Kharge.