India News | Left Urges Centre to Step Up Efforts to Evacuate Stranded Indians in Ukraine
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Left parties on Tuesday urged the Centre to step up efforts to evacuate Indian students from Ukraine after the first Indian casualty was reported from the war-torn country.
New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) Left parties on Tuesday urged the Centre to step up efforts to evacuate Indian students from Ukraine after the first Indian casualty was reported from the war-torn country.
A medical student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city of Ukraine on Tuesday, hours after the Indian embassy in Kyiv asked all stranded Indians to leave the capital city urgently "through any means available".
Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Father of Naveen Shekarappa, Who Died in Shelling in Ukraine.
"Indian student Naveen Shekharappa's death in Ukraine has caused deep anguish to all Indians. I offer my condolences.
“GoI's lack of foresight is resulting in sufferings for stranded Indians. We must do everything to take Indians out of the conflict zone. The war must end," CPI general secretary D Raja said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to evacuate the Indians stranded in Ukraine, sources said, adding that the force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft with the capacity to carry approximately 300 passengers as part of ‘Operation Ganga'.
Modi also spoke to the dead student's and offered his heartfelt condolences to the family following the tragedy, official sources said.
"Tragic loss of life. Deepest condolences. Urge GoI to further step up efforts to urgently ensure evacuation of all Indians. Further loss of young lives caught in crossfire must be prevented," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.
According to Naveen's uncle, he was in a bunker in Kharkiv and had gone out in the morning to exchange currency and fetch some food when he was caught in the shelling.
Naveen was in the fourth year of his course at Kharkiv medical college.
The Kharkiv city is witnessing increasing fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)