By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, requesting that the central government makes immediate arrangements for the safe evacuation of Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine following a Russian military offensive.
“I would like to bring to your notice that a number of students and other Punjabis are stranded in Ukraine. Their parents and family members are worried about their safety because of the situation which has developed there. They are facing a number of problems like place to stay, cash crunch, etc. ,” Channi wrote.
He requested the Centre to make immediate necessary arrangements for the safe evacuation of the Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine. He requested the External Affairs Ministry to further intensify its efforts to explore all diplomatic channels to ensure safe return of Indians.
“While the evacuation may take some time, meanwhile, Govt. of India may ensure safety of these people within Ukraine,” he said. On Thursday, Channi had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for the rescue and safe return of Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine.
Former union minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday urged Jaishankar to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Punjabi students trapped in Ukraine as well as their safe passage to India. She shared with the government a list of 33 students from Punjab who are studying in various colleges in Ukraine.
She said there was a likelihood of more Punjabis being stranded in Ukraine, besides people from other states, according to a statement.
Badal said a concerted effort needed to be taken through the Indian embassy in Ukraine to ensure the safety of the students and Indian nationals there. Badal also reached out separately to Reenat Sandhu, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, and requested that all help be extended to Indian students through the embassy in Ukraine.
Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann too had appealed to the Union government to make arrangements to bring back Indian students safely and had also raised the issue of “multi-fold increase in air ticket prices”.
Punjab Lok Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh have also urged the Centre “to put all mechanisms in place for the safe and early return of all our nationals stuck there”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed that India attaches the highest priority to the safe exit and return of its citizens from Ukraine.
