Congress calls the statements of VK Singh, Prahlad Joshi and Arvind Ballad the height of insensitivity, demands action against Karnataka BJP leader Ballad
The Congress party has raised serious questions on the efforts and preparations of the Modi government so far in the matter of bringing back the Indian students trapped in the midst of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The country’s main opposition party has strongly condemned the controversial statements made by Union Minister VK Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Karnataka’s veteran BJP leader Arvind Ballad on this serious issue and called them crossing all limits of insensitivity. The Congress today launched an all-out attack on the Modi government by holding a special press conference on this issue. The party has demanded from the government that it should make arrangements to bring back all the Indian citizens trapped in Ukraine at the earliest.
Congress national spokesperson Gurdeep Singh Sappal said, “Congress party wants to know how many Indian students are still trapped in Ukraine? In which area are those students stuck? How many children are trapped in the bombed areas, how many have reached the border and how many have crossed the border? Along with the parents of those children, all the citizens of India are eagerly waiting for this basic information. It is the responsibility of the Government of India to keep this information in front of the country.
Tell the government what is the plan to rescue the children trapped in the war: Congress
He said that government ministers are sitting in Hungary, Poland, Romania, but the children are stuck in Ukraine. In such a situation, the government should tell what plan it has made to reach the children trapped in the war zone? The Government of India should share the Evacuation Plan of Indian students with the country. It is very sad to see a superpower like India so helpless in saving its children.
Children do not even have food and water, what is the government doing?
The Congress began its press conference by showing a video of students stranded in Ukraine detailing the difficult situation they are facing. After showing the video, Congress spokespersons asked that if the children trapped in Ukraine do not even have food and drinking water, then what is our government doing? Hasn’t the government through its embassies and contacts made even enough arrangements that our students get at least food and water there?
Gurdeep Sappal said that Indian students are somehow reaching the borders of Poland, Hungary and Romania, facing difficult situations and dangers. But even after reaching there, they are taking one and a half days to cross the border. Can’t the Indian government do so much that the children who are reaching there on their own somehow, they should be made to cross the border as soon as possible? Government ministers are standing across the border with flowers and garlands, but the children are unable to reach them by crossing the border. Congress spokesperson questioned that we have had good relations with Ukraine for a long time, yet why the government is not able to help the students trapped there so much?
Why not arrange for safe passage for our students: Congress
The Congress spokesperson said that our Prime Minister is in constant contact with the Presidents of both Russia and Ukraine over the phone. Still, why is safe passage not being arranged for Indian students? The country wants to know what is the problem in doing so. Gurdeep Sappal said that on one hand the President of Russia says that the Ukrainian army has taken our students hostage. On the other hand our government says that there is nothing like this. Our government is in touch with both the countries and we have good relations with both. Since the time of Pandit Nehru, India has had a strong position in the world, it is dominating. Why are we not able to make arrangements for safe passage for our children, our citizens by using it? Why do they have to wander here and there in the midst of the bombings?
Even the helpline is not working properly: Congress
Gurdeep Sappal said that we have all seen, such videos of children trapped in Ukraine have been coming continuously that no one picks up the helpline numbers given by the Indian government and embassies. If picked up, there is no answer or it is picked up and cut off. Children say that it takes one and a half to two days to talk to someone on the helpline. There is a war going on, bombs are falling continuously. In such a situation, it is surprising that it takes one and a half days to reach the helpline. In this age of information technology, when we are IT superpowers, can’t it be done so that at least the grievances of the students, their voice reaches us through the helpline? Why has the government failed to make such arrangements?
Statements of BJP leaders the height of insensitivity: Congress
The Congress also launched a scathing attack on the statements of some BJP ministers and leaders during the Russo-Ukraine war. Gurdeep Sappal said that the kind of rhetoric made by the leaders and ministers of BJP is the height of insensitivity. General VK Singh says when students are shot and killed in Ukraine, it happens in a war zone. What is this? This is not our war. We have good relations with both the countries. Then why do our children have to suffer all this? Our government cannot normalize this situation by saying that it happens in a war zone. Right to life is a fundamental right of our citizens and it is the responsibility of the government to protect it.
Advisory also not issued properly: Congress
Congress spokesperson Gurdeep Sappal said that VK Singh says, we had issued the advisory, its life has expired. Now the children should somehow reach where we are telling. From there we will take it. This thing is also completely wrong. In the advisory issued on February 15, it was said that Indians living in Ukraine who do not have any essential work, they can come back temporarily if they want. Now what is the meaning of these words? After this, in the advisory issued by the government on March 2 at 1:30 pm, it was said that the students living in Kharkiv should somehow reach Pisoshin, Babaye and Bezlyudovka by 6 pm. But no one told how to reach there? Still, the students somehow reached Pisoshin on foot amidst the shelling, but there was no one from the government or the embassy. This is not a game of PUBG, in which you will reach comfortably in the middle of the bombing. Still, when the children reached with their lives at risk, there was no arrangement there. This is playing with the lives of children.
BJP leader violated the dignity of the deceased student: Congress
Gurdeep Sappal said that even in the time of such serious crisis, BJP’s big leader Arvind Ballad in Karnataka is giving very insensitive statements. They say that the government is not able to bring the body of Naveen, a student who lost his life in a shelling in Ukraine, because the deadbody takes up a lot of space in the plane! No one would have given this shameful statement before in the country. Today it has become such a condition that after the death of one of their students abroad, BJP leaders are also insulting their dignity. Action should be taken against Arvind Balad, who made such a shameful statement.
Prahlad Joshi also gave senseless statement: Congress
Congress spokesperson while targeting Prahlad Joshi said that the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister is also giving very insensitive statements. They say that children who fail in the country go to Ukraine for medical studies. They do not know that Indian children go to Ukraine because the fees for medical courses in private colleges of the country have gone up to Rs 1.5-2 crore. That is why they go there under compulsion, because there the fees are less. Due to high fees, children of normal families are not able to take admission in good private colleges of the country even after getting better marks, whereas students with money get admission in good colleges even after getting less marks. The Union Minister does not know that Ukraine also gives admission on the basis of NEET. To clear the NEET exam in the country, only 18 per cent marks are required. Whereas Naveen, the meritorious student who died, was the child who scored 97 percent marks. Congress party strongly condemns such senseless statements.
Trying to blame the students only: Congress
The Congress spokesperson said that the people of the government, the people of BJP are now campaigning that the crisis happened because the students did not plan properly. The question is, did the government plan? The Air Force ships that are sending today, couldn’t they have sent ten days ago? The government which has all the resources and contacts could not do the planning in time and it is being said that the children would have done the planning!
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