Government Was Late In Ordering Evacuations, Lives Of Thousands Of Indians In Peril: P Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Tuesday the Indian government should stop its verbal balancing act and sternly demand that Russia stop immediately the bombing of key cities in Ukraine.

P Chidambaram (Photo: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Tuesday that the Government of India should stop its verbal balancing act and sternly demand that Russia stop immediately the bombing of key cities in Ukraine. On the same day, an Indian student was killed in the shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

In a tweet, Chidambaram said that if the bombing is stopped or paused, foreigners trapped in Ukraine may be able to leave the country. 

The Government of India should stop its verbal balancing act and sternly demand that Russia stop immediately the bombing of key cities in Ukraine.

If the bombing is stopped or paused, foreigners trapped in Ukraine may be able to leave the country.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 1, 2022

In the same thread, Chidambaram accused the government of being late in ordering evacuation. He also said that the government was guilty of encouraging Indians to believe that “nothing untoward was likely to happen in Ukraine”. 

The Government was late in ordering evacuation. The Government was also guilty of encouraging Indians to believe that nothing untoward was likely to happen in Ukraine

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 1, 2022

The senior Congress leader pointed out that the lives of thousands of Indians, including students, are in peril. “India must speak up loudly and bravely and demand that Russia stop the bombing immediately,” he said. 

Other Congress Leaders On Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has condoled the death of the Indian student in the shelling which occurred in Ukraine on Tuesday. He wrote in a tweet that the Government of India "needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation", and added that “every minute is precious". 

Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine.

My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation.

Every minute is precious.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 1, 2022

Anand Sharma, Congress’ Chairman of Foreign Affairs Department, said in an official statement last week that the  outbreak  of  hostilities  and  military  conflict  between  Russia  and Ukraine  is  a matter of grave concern for the world. He said in the statement that the Indian National Congress, while expressing its anguish,  is of  the  considered  view  that  the  international  community  must  work together for cessation of armed conflict and early restoration of peace to save human lives and further aggravation of the crisis.

“The path of diplomatic negotiations must be embraced in all sincerity for a negotiated resolution of all issues between Russia and Ukraine respecting the MINSK and Russia-NATO agreements and earlier understandings,” Sharma had said. 

He wrote that the United Nations (UN) charter must be upheld by all countries.