Govt took steps early on to evacuate Indians from Ukraine, says Ramdas Athawale

Ramdas Athawale. File Pic

Countering Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said the government had started the preparation for bringing Indian nationals back from Ukraine when war in that country was only a possibility.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi claimed that while the condition of Indians stranded in Ukraine, which has been invaded by Russia, was worsening, the Narendra Modi government was not taking effective steps to bring them home. Speaking to the media, Athawale said, "When there was (only) a possibility of war, the Government of India had already started taking steps for the evacuation of students.

"Efforts are being made to evacuate all students and other Indian nationals. Rahul Gandhi is very good at making allegations. Instead, he should support the government," the minister added. He also condoled the death of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a student from Karnataka, who died in shelling in Ukraine.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.