Hardeep Puri breaks silence on minority evacuation from Afghan; "MEA making arrangements"

On the evacuation of Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured that the Ministry of External Affairs and others who are responsible for it will make all the arrangements. The statement of the former Aviation Minister and the present Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas comes after Congress accused the PM Modi-led Central government of maintaining silence on the Afghanistan crisis. The national party further urged the government to prepare a plan to evacuate minorities - Hindus and Sikhs from the region. 

Congress' statement

'Situation in Afghanistan is ' extremely alarming'. India's strategic interests were at stake. Safety and security of our embassy, its personnel as also that of Indian citizens at stake', said Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a statement. The party is solidly behind in protecting India's interest. The statement added that a mature political and diplomatic response from the government is the need of the hour. 

"Taliban and Haqqani Network connections with Pakistan's ISI and JeM, LeT, JuD are known. There is an urgent need to revisit our geopolitical interests in this background and its impact on J&K," said Congress. 

"PM and EAM need to come out and clearly spell out our policy for the safe return of our citizens, embassy personnel," the party said in the release while slamming the PM Modi government for its refusal to set in motion a plan to evacuate the Indian citizens, and called it a 'gross abdication'. As per reports, over 200 Indians, including foreign ministry staff, are yet to be evacuated from Afghanistan's capital Kabul. 

This comes after a mad rush was witnessed at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Aiport as people in panic and scare tried to escape the now-Taliban-captured capital city. However, official reports suggest that no flights can now operate from Kabul's airport as the airspace has been closed. 

Meanwhile, over 320 people belonging to the minority community (including 50 Hindus and 270+ Sikhs) have taken refuge in Karte Parwan Gurdwara in Kabul in the wake of recent developments. Taliban Leaders have met them and assured them of their safety. They have been quoted as saying, "We are hopeful that Hindus & Sikhs would be able to live a safe/secure life despite political & military changes happening in Afghanistan."

Taliban takeover 

As US troops retreat after 20 years from war-torn Afghanistan, the Taliban has launched an offensive taking over cities like Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah, gradually encircling the government in Kabul. While Kandahar and Herat fell on Thursday, forcing government officials and their entourage to flee to the airport to escape the city by air, Mazar-e-Sharif fell on Friday, while Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah on Saturday, strengthening the Taliban's stronghold. Finally, on Sunday, as US troops evacuated all their diplomats, fleeing via helicopters, the Taliban held talks with the Ghani government and took over Kabul along with the Afghan military. 

Image Credit-AP/PTI/Republicworld