Congress slams Modi govt for failing to evacuate distressed Indian students stranded in war-torn Ukraine

The Congress on Monday slammed the Modi government for failing to take immediate steps to evacuate Indian students stranded in Ukraine in the aftermath of the Russian invasion.

Addressing the media in Delhi, Congress spokesperson Dr Ragini Nayak said, highlighted the plight of Indian students stuck in Ukraine and said it is giving sleepless nights and troubling everyone in the country, except the Modi regime.

She claimed that thousands of Indian students are stuck in war zone without food, water and medical attention.

"Students are crying out for help, requesting the Modi government to intervene but to no avail. We saw a video last night...where students are being beaten up. What is it if not a matter of shame for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government that they have decided to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to this entire terrible situation," she told reporters.

On some Indians being evacuated, she said, "Instead of beating the drum and taking credit, the priority of the government should be to bring the remaining Indian students stuck in Ukraine."

She also alleged that the foreign policy of the Modi government has been a failure as neighbouring countries have been able to bring back their citizens to the Poland border much in advance.

“Our students, our children are stuck in a war zone, stuck at various locations in Ukraine, stuck at various borders of Ukraine, stuck in an inhabitable basement areas, stuck in bunkers, stuck without food, without water, without medical attention, stuck in an atmosphere of constant threat of fear, violence, loss of life and without any support from the Modi regime, from the Foreign Ministry or the Indian embassy,” she said.

“We all have seen that videos, visuals and accounts have been surfacing since last 2-3 days, wherein students are talking about their predicament. Students are crying out for help, their parents are crying, their throat hoarse, requesting the Modi government to intervene, but, to no avail. Especially last night, we have seen a video from the Ukraine-Poland border, wherein various students from our country are being beaten up, are being dragged, are being terrorized, even gun shots are fired and what is it, if not a matter of shame for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the center that they have decided to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to this entire terrible situation in which Indians have landed in Ukraine,” she added.

“Rahul Ji has tweeted today in the morning and he said that his heart goes out to Indian students suffering such violence and their family forced to watch these videos. No parent should go through this and he has urged government of India to share the detailed evacuation plan with those stranded as well as their families and very importantly he has said that we cannot allow our people to be stranded and abundant like this,” Nayak said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked the government to urgently share its evacuation plan with those stranded in Ukraine and their families and tweeted a video clip purportedly showing some girl students being harassed by the military there.

He alleged that the government is not taking effective steps to bring Indian students home amid a Russian military offensive on Ukraine and that the PM is "missing in action".

"My heart goes out to the Indian students suffering such violence and their family watching these videos. No parent should go through this," he tweeted, sharing the 30-second video clip.

"The GOI must urgently share the detailed evacuation plan with those stranded as well as their families. We can't abandon our own people," he said.

In another tweet, Gandhi said, "Conditions of Indians stranded in Ukraine are worsening. Yet, GOI is not taking effective steps to bring them home. As usual, PM is MIA (Missing in action)."

He shared a second video clip in which an Indian girl student alleged that Indian embassy officials were rejecting and ignoring their distress calls, even after videos of girls being beaten up mercilessly at the Romanian border was sent.

While the Indian embassy is advising students to take trains out of Kyiv and reach the border, the student says in the video, "they are not taking our calls and are completely ignoring us".

She said all other countries have evacuated their citizens from Ukraine, "but the Indian government is doing nothing for us".

"The border is about 800 km from our current location and how as students we are supposed to reach there on our own," she said, urging Indians to protest to put pressure on the government to help them get evacuated.

Gandhi and the Congress party have been criticising the government for not evacuating Indian students from Ukraine in time and have called for urgent steps to evacuate them after Russia attacked Ukraine.

A number of Congress leaders have shared videos of Indian students in Ukraine highlighting their plight and making appeals to the Indian government to evacuate them soon.

The Congress also tweeted the video of Indians being beaten up in Ukraine and said, "These sticks on foreign land are falling on the honour and prestige of the country, not on the children of the country, Prime Minister ji. Leave elections, remove the stress of the children of the country, Prime Minister ji."

Sharing the video, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said on Twitter, "It's heartbreaking to see Indian students being beaten in Ukraine. Most of them are saying they are getting no help from the Indian government."

"PM Modi's top priority should have been these 20,000 students but instead he is focused on delivering speeches," Kharge said.

Sharing the same video, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked, "Modi ji, you will turn your face even after seeing such atrocities on our Indian children? Will Indians trying to save their lives from bombs and missiles be subjected to such cruelty?"

"Instead of giving advice, is there any plan to bring back thousands of Indians safely from Ukraine? Will you stop electioneering and discharge your duties?" Surjewala said in a tweet in Hindi.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also said in a tweet in Hindi, "Due to wrong strategy and lack of foresight, thousands of our children are trapped in Ukraine. Things are getting worse and time is running out. Protecting Indian citizens and their lives should be our first duty."