PM Modi chairs CCS meeting; NSA Doval, Foreign Secretary Shringla present

PTI, Aug 17, 2021, 7:32 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security against the backdrop of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. The Cabinet Committee on Security is the apex government body that deals with the issues of national security.

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the meeting, besides senior officials. While official sources confirmed the meeting, but there was no word on what transpired there.

Sources said those present in the meeting also included National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, as also India’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Rudrendra Tandon, who returned to India on Tuesday itself.

India has brought back the Indian ambassador and all staff members from its embassy in Kabul in two military transport aircraft in the wake of escalating tension and deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital after its takeover by the Taliban.

A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought back from Kabul around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians on Tuesday. Another flight had evacuated around 40 staffers from Kabul on Monday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the MEA said that the immediate priority for the government is to obtain accurate information about all Indian nationals currently staying in Afghanistan.