Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda on Monday urged the political parties to not politicise the evacuation process from war-torn Ukraine. In a series of tweets, the JD(S) patriarch urged everyone to work together.
"I have been watching videos of our young citizens stranded in Ukraine making fervent pleas for evacuation. It is heart wrenching to see their plight. I can understand their desperation to get back home safely. But when a war is raging in that country and there is so much uncertainty on the ground, and when operational links are broken, it is only fair that we support our officers and embassies to focus on the job at hand," Gowda tweeted.
He said, he knows from experience that these operations can be tough and delicate. "Let us not politicise the evacuation process. It will demoralise those conducting the operation. Scoring points at this hour of crisis will make us look bad. Let us work together," he added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today said India has managed to accelerate its efforts to get its nationals out of Ukraine in the last 24 hours, though the situation on the ground continues to be "complex and fluid" in terms of evacuation of people.
It said a total of 1,396 Indians were brought back home in six flights as part of the evacuation mission and the total number of Indians who have left Ukraine since India issued the first advisory earlier this month is around 8,000.
The MEA said India is also sending humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
The Russian attack on Ukraine began four days ago. India started issuing advisories in mid-February, asking Indians to consider leaving Ukraine after tensions increased between Moscow and Kyiv.
The government has already decided to send four Union ministers as the prime minister's envoys to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova to oversee the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine through its border crossings with these countries.
At a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Union minister Hardeep Puri will go to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will oversee the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju will travel to Slovakia and Gen. (retd) V K Singh is leaving for 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 hours".
(With PTI inputs)
