At the time when the Indian government is leaving no stone unturned to bring back its stranded nationals from the war-hit Ukraine, the Congress has yet again opted to use the catastrophe for playing petty politics. According to reports, on March 1, 2022 (Tuesday), the Indian Youth Congress members staged a protest near External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s residence here in Delhi, demanding the safe evacuation of Indian students stranded in war-torn Ukraine.
Congress’ youth wing stages a protest near the residence of Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in Delhi demanding safe return of Indian students from war-hit Ukraine. #ReporterDiary #RussiaUkraineWar #UkraineCrisis #IndianStudents (@Supriya23bh) pic.twitter.com/lsQ30cSy16
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) March 1, 2022
At a time when the entire nation should be standing together and supporting the government in its efforts to bring back the stranded nationals, the IYC workers decided to create a ruckus on the road leading to EAM S Jaishnkar’s residence. They burnt posters and shouted, “Modi Murdabad” (down with Modi) slogans.
युद्धस्तर पर छात्रों को Ukraine से निकालने की जगह Advisory पर Advisory जारी करने और PR में व्यस्त विदेश मंत्री @DrSJaishankar के घर के बाहर युवा कांग्रेस का प्रदर्शन ।
— Srinivas BV (@srinivasiyc) March 1, 2022
छात्रों की सकुशल वापिसी तक सरकार को नींद से जगाने के लिए ये संघर्ष जारी रहेगा.. pic.twitter.com/wM5VaCSeLB
However, the Congress workers were intercepted by the Delhi police on the Tughlaq road while they were marching towards the minister’s residence. Some of them were detained and sent to Mandir Marg police station.
The Congress’ protest comes at a time when several reports have suggested that India has already managed to bring almost 9000 students out of Ukraine while a considerable number are now in safer areas. “We will continue to make utmost efforts to ensure the return our citizens stranded in Ukraine,” a sources has been quoted by various media houses as saying.
Moreover, until March 1, 2022, over 2200 Indian national have safey been brought back to India from the war-torn Ukraine.
Over 9000 Indian nationals brought out of Ukraine while a considerable number are now in safer areas
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2022
We will continue to make utmost efforts to ensure the return our citizens stranded in Ukraine: Sources
It may be noted that only today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also reiterated that India is doing everything it takes to assure the safety of its people stuck in Ukraine. “We will not rest till our fellow Indians are safe. Ninth #OperationGanga flight departs Bucharest for New Delhi with 218 Indian nationals,” Tweeted the EAM.
We will not rest till our fellow Indians are safe.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 28, 2022
Ninth #OperationGanga flight departs Bucharest for New Delhi with 218 Indian nationals. https://t.co/uQzlBMlxi9
Operation Ganga: Four Union Ministers to fly to neighbouring nations of Ukraine to coordinate evacuation of Indian students
At a media briefing on Monday, February 28, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Union minister Hardeep Puri will travel to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will monitor the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju will visit Slovakia, and Gen. (retd) V K Singh will travel to Poland. “The special envoys will go to these countries to basically coordinate and oversee the evacuation process there on the ground,” he said. Bagchi said the “situation on the ground in terms of evacuation continues to be complex and fluid. Nevertheless, we have been able to accelerate our evaluation process clearly over the last 24 hour,” said Bagchi.
Government to rope in Air Force for Ukraine evacuation efforts
It may be noted that the government of India has decided to engage the Indian Air Force (IAF) as well as commercial flights to help nearly 20,000 Indian students, most studying medicine, who have been stuck in Ukraine.
The Indian government has started an evacuation operation named ‘Operation Ganga’ for the stranded Indian students. Several special flights have been running from Poland, Romania, and Hungary to bring the students home.
It must be mentioned that the Ukrainian airspace was closed for civilian aircraft from Thursday (February 24) morning onwards. As such, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had to coordinate with the embassies of neighbouring countries in Poland, Romania and Hungary for the creation of safe evacuation channels.
Under ‘Operation Ganga’, Indians were first taken in batches from Ukraine to bordering countries (currently Hungary and Romania) via buses/commute arranged by the embassy. They were then airlifted to Delhi or Mumbai through chartered Air India flights.
On Tuesday, March 1, an Air India Express flight carrying 182 Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Ukraine landed in Mumbai from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning, an airline spokesperson said. Union MSME minister Narayan Rane received them at the Mumbai airport. This was the 7th flight carrying strandsed Indian back home from Ukraine.
आज मुंबई हवाई अड्डे पर एयर इंडिया एक्सप्रेस द्वारा रोमानिया के बुखारेस्ट से युक्रेन में फसे 182 भारतीय छात्रों को सुरक्षित लौटते हुए देखकर राहत और खुशी हुई। #OperationGanga pic.twitter.com/6Ok1S1dyuA
— Narayan Rane (@MeNarayanRane) March 1, 2022
Notably, until Monday, February 28, 2022, under Operation Ganga, a total of six evacuation flights had landed in India with 1396 nationals who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine after the Russian military offensive. It must be mentioned that prior to the closure of the Ukrainian airspace, Air India had evacuated 240 people from Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv on Tuesday (February 22). This had put the total number of Indian evacuees until Feb 28 at 1636.
Today, another 182 Indian nationals reached Mumbai from war-torn Ukraine. The 8th and the 9th flights, carrying 216 and 218 Indians respectively are on their way back home, taking the total count of Indian evacuees until March 1 to 2252.
Moreover, more than 9000 have been brought out of the war-hit Ukraine and several others have been shifted to safer places.
