Russia says buses ready to take out Indians, India says not without ceasefire
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Mar, 2022 10:09 AM
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) With Russia state media reporting Russian authorities have arranged 130 buses for evacuation of Indian students from war-battered Sumy and Kharkiv in Ukraine, India on Friday said that pulling them out was not possible without a ceasefire as the gunfights and bombing are continuing in these areas.
Russian news agency TASS said that the Russia is ready to send 130 buses to evacuate stranded Indian students and other foreigners from war-torn Ukraine's Kharkiv and Sumy cities to its Belgorod Region, quoting top Russian military official Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev.
TASS had also said that this came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed the safe evacuation of Indians from the war-torn Ukraine.
Over 700 Indian students are stuck in Sumy and they are running out of basic necessities like food and water and they have been urging the Indian government to get them evacuated from there.
Meanwhile, the government sources said that the Indian officials have been deputed in Belgorod to make the necessary arrangements for the Indian nationals including students stuck in Sumy and Kharkiv and once the safe passage is provided or in case of ceasefire, they will be evacuated from these places.
India's prime concern is to evacuate its nationals from the conflict zones of Kharkiv and Sumy in eastern Ukraine, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi said.
India's civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, on Thursday extended the ban on scheduled international commercial flights till January 31.Earlier, India had announced plans to allow resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services from December 15 with certain conditions.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the country's top security officers held a meeting on Wednesday over the situation arising out of the IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu that killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others onboard the ill-fated helicopter.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of the farmers protesting along the borders of the national capital over agricultural issues, have agreed to the draft proposal prepared by the Central government, and is expected make a "major announcement" on Thursday. A meeting is likely to be held on Thursday noon to decide the further strategy of the movement.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday lashed out at the Congress high command for appointing Ajay Maken as the Chairman of the screening committee for shortlisting candidates for the next Vidhan Sabha elections in Punjab. In a statement here, Amarinder Singh said Maken is the nephew of (late) Lalit Maken, who was one of the main culprits of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the sand mafia in Punjab alone runs illegal business of over Rs 20,000 crore. There are serious allegations of direct involvement of ruling Congress MLAs, their ministers and their close associates, including the Chief Minister himself.
