Punjab CM urges Modi to intervene for safe return of Indians from Ukraine

PTI, Feb 24, 2022, 3:06 PM IST

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for the rescue and safe return of Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine.

As Russia carries out a military operation in Ukraine, the Indian embassy has asked Indians in that country to maintain calm and remain safe wherever they are. ”Deeply concerned over the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. I urge Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi Ji to intervene for the rescue and safe return of Indians in general and Punjabis in particular, stuck in war-hit Ukraine,” Channi tweeted.

A day earlier, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann appealed to the Union government to make arrangements to bring back Indian students safely and had also raised the issue of ”multi-fold increase in air ticket prices”.

The AAP MP had demanded strict action against the airline for raising ticket prices.

Mann said hundreds of students from across Punjab were studying in Ukraine and their parents were worried about their safety.

India on Thursday was firming up contingency plans, including activating alternate air routes to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine as the spectre of a massive Russian offensive loomed over the eastern European country after President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) held a series of high-level meetings to put into operation certain contingency plans given the rapidly changing situation in Ukraine.

The situation in Ukraine deteriorated after President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation, triggering serious concerns over the possibility of a full-scale military confrontation between the two countries.

Following Putin’s announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said an ”invasion” could be the beginning of a ”big war” in Europe.