We Are Lagging Behind, Our Students Are Stuck In Ukraine: Mamata Banerjee On Evacuation Efforts

“But sometimes I have seen that (in) external affairs matters because of some coordination gap and political business, we are lagging behind and our students are stuck there,” she added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi & West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee | File Photo

New Delhi: Taking potshots at the government over the delay in evacuation of the Indian students from Ukraine post the Russian aggression, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged the ruling dispensation at the Centre is lagging behind because of some coordination gap and political business.

“I don't want to criticise the government, especially for matter of external affairs, because we are one,” said Banerjee, ANI reported.

“But sometimes I have seen that (in) external affairs matters because of some coordination gap and political business, we are lagging behind and our students are stuck there,” she added.

Continuing her tirade, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said that the Central government should have brought the students earlier from Ukraine when it was aware of the developments in the country.

“Somebody died, some people are moving from here and there. Somebody is waiting in bunkers, somebody is waiting in Romania, somebody is not getting food. They search for food and get killed,” said Banerjee.

“When the government was aware of developments, why didn't they bring the students earlier?” she asked.

Banerjee’s remarks come as earlier on Tuesday a 21-year-old Indian medical student was killed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv near the Russian border.

The victim Naveen S G, who hailed from Chalageri village in Karnataka’s Haveri district, was a fourth-year MBBS student at Kharkiv National Medical University.

Meanwhile, the government has intensified evacuation of stranded Indians from Ukraine.

So far, ten flights have arrived in India from Ukraine's neighbouring countries under ‘Operation Ganga’.

“#OperationGanga developments. Six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours. Includes the first flights from Poland. Carried back 1377 more Indian nationals from Ukraine,” External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar tweeted earlier in the day.