'This is the spirit...': Shashi Tharoor praises minister on Ukraine evacuations
Indians stranded in Ukraine: Yesterday PM Modi spoke to Russian president Putin to emphasise India’s need to evacuate its citizens from Kharkiv city amid an assault by Russian forces.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has praised foreign minister S Jaishankar for a 'comprehensive briefing' on the evacuation of Indians from war-torn Ukraine and for providing 'candid responses to our questions'. "This is the spirit in which foreign policy should be run."
Tharoor and other opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, were part of the meeting of the Consultative Committee on External Affairs that discussed the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Nine MPs from six parties attended the meeting, Tharoor tweeted, and said: "Frank discussions took place in an amicable atmosphere, a reminder that when it comes to national interests we are all Indians first and foremost."
"I have declined media requests for comments since the meeting is confidential. However we urged the MEA to issue a more detailed statement than usual. The meeting took place in a constructive spirit and all parties are united in their desire to see our nationals return safely."
The 21-member Consultative Committee on External Affairs is headed by Jaishankar and includes Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Anand Sharma, as well as Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who earlier today slammed junior foreign minister V Muraleedharan for 'blame games' over the evacuation of 'mentally traumatised' students from Ukraine's Kharkiv.
After the meeting Jaishankar also tweeted, saying it had been a "good discussion on the strategic and humanitarian aspects of the issue". All involved had expressed a 'strong and unanimous message of support for efforts to bring back all Indians from Ukraine', he said.
Yesterday prime minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin to review the situation in Ukraine and emphasise India’s need to evacuate its citizens from Kharkiv city amid an assault by Russian forces.
The prime minister told Hindustan Times the government would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to bring back the tens of thousands of Indians who had been left stranded in Ukraine after Russia attacked and the airspace was shut to civilian traffic.
Earlier today aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia - one of four union ministers deputed to Ukraine's neighbours to oversee evacuations - said 19 flights would be operated today alone to bring back over 3,700 Indians.
