Evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine got delayed due to...: EAM Jaishankar slams opposition

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday during the ongoing budget session of Parliament, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said that Ukrainian universities were ‘positively discouraging’ Indian students from leaving the war-torn country.

Amid mounting criticism from opposition parties over the delayed evacuation of Indian students from war-torn Ukraine, external affairs minister S Jaishankar hit back by saying that the delay happened because of confusing political statements by the Ukrainian government.

EAM S Jaishankar speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on March 15, 2022. (PTI)

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday during the ongoing budget session of Parliament, Jaishankar said that Indian students studying in Ukraine were confused and therefore, there was a delay in evacuating them.

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had himself said that there was no need to panic. Leaders in Ukraine were saying at the time that people leaving would contribute to creating a sense of panic...Sitting here, it is very easy to pass judgements saying: we should have done this earlier or faster, but please understand what was the situation of the students...who do they listen to?" Jaishankar said.

“They listen, first of all, to the University, they listen to the student advisors, they listen to the local government and they listen to other students. They talk to their families and ask them if they should come back or not,” the minister said, adding 4,000 students returned to India due to government advisories.

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Jaishankar said that Ukrainian universities were ‘positively discouraging’ Indian students from leaving the country.

He also said that students were being signalled by President Volodymyr Zelensky's government to not get alarmed and leave Ukraine.

Urging opposition parties to keep away from passing sweeping judgements that the Centre should have done this or done that, Jaishankar asked them to think about the students who were in the worsening situation in Ukraine.

“Don't tell students who are in that situation that at that time their judgement was wrong. I think they did what they thought was right under the circumstances and we should not second guess them at this time,” the minister told the Rajya Sabha.

Jaishankar informed the Upper House that over 22,500 Indian citizens have returned safely to the country under the Centre's Operation Ganga. He added that 150 foreign nationals of 18 countries including Bangladesh and Nepal were also evacuated from Ukraine and brought to India.