Modi govt gives clean chit to Ukrainian army after Russia alleges Indian students are being forced to remain in conflict zone

News Network
March 3, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of India has dismissed Russia’s allegation that the Ukrainian Army had forcibly stopped some Indians from leaving Kharkiv in the East European nation and took them hostage to be used as human shields to resist the advancing Russian Army.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said early on Thursday that the Embassy of India in Kyiv is in continuous touch with Indians in Ukraine. The MEA note noted that many Indian students had left Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday with the cooperation of the local authorities.

“We have not received any reports of any hostage situation regarding any student,” he said, contradicting the allegations made not only by a spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Government but also by the office of President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

New Delhi has requested support from the Ukrainian Government in arranging special trains for taking students out of Kharkiv and neighbouring areas to the western part of the country, the MEA spokesperson said.

“We have been coordinating effectively with the countries in the region including Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova,” said Bagchi.

“A large number of Indian nationals have been evacuated from Ukraine in the last few days. We appreciate the help extended by the Ukrainian authorities to make this possible,” he added, dismissing Moscow’s allegation against Kyiv.

India got hundreds of its citizens to leave Kharkiv and move to three nearby towns on short notice on Wednesday, apparently for evacuating them through the territory of Russia.

Moscow, however, alleged that the Ukrainian Army had taken some Indian students hostage and forced them to remain in Kharkiv to be used as human shields in a press release issued after Putin had a phone call with Modi.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Government also alleged that the Ukrainian Army and local authorities forcibly kept a large group of Indian students in Kharkiv, although they had wanted to leave and cross the Ukraine-Russia border to go to Belgorod in Russia. “In fact, they (Indians) are being held as hostages (by the Ukrainians) and offered to leave the territory of Ukraine via Ukrainian-Polish border (though areas of active hostilities),” a spokesperson of the Russian Government said. “Russian armed forces are ready to take all necessary measures for the safe evacuation of the Indian citizens, and send them home from the Russian territory with its own military transport planes or Indian planes,” they added.

Kyiv on the other hand stated that the citizens of India, Pakistan and China could not leave Kharkiv and Sumy due to indiscriminate shelling and barbaric missile strikes by the Russian Armed Forces on the residential areas and civilian infrastructure in eastern Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian Government also said that it was ready to assist foreign students to relocate from Kharkiv and Sumy if Russia committed to a ceasefire.

Modi spoke to Putin and reviewed the situation in Ukraine, especially in the city of Kharkiv. They discussed the safe evacuation of the citizens of India from the conflict zones in Ukraine, according to a press-release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi. Putin told Modi that all necessary instructions had been given and the Russian Army had been doing everything possible to ensure the safe removal of Indian citizens from the war zone and their return to their homeland, according to a statement issued by the Kremlin.

Hundreds of Indians – mostly students – have been stranded in Kharkiv, Sumy and other cities in eastern Ukraine ever since the country came under attack from Russia early on February 24. A 21-year-old medical student, Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, was killed in front of the grocery store due to shelling by Russian Armed Forces on Tuesday.

The Embassy of India in Kyiv issued an “urgent advisory” at around 1:30 p.m. (Ukraine Time) on Wednesday, asking the stranded Indians – mostly students – to immediately leave Kharkiv and, in case of unavailability of vehicles, start walking towards Pesochyn, Babai and Bezlyudivka, three settlements located nearly 11-16 kilometres away. “Proceed immediately. Under all circumstances, Indians must reach these settlements by 6 p.m. (Ukraine Time) today,” the embassy asked students in the advisory.

It stated that all Indians must leave Kharkiv “immediately, repeat immediately” in the light of the “deteriorating situation” and “for their own safety and security”.

Majority of Indians stranded in the city did leave after the advisory was issued and they either reached or were on their way to the designated destinations, according to the latest report received in New Delhi.

Bagchi, the spokesperson of the MEA, told journalists in New Delhi on Wednesday that India had issued the advisory and asked its citizens stranded in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine to leave immediately on the basis of inputs received from Russia. He, however, declined to elaborate on the nature of the inputs India received from Russia.

A source in New Delhi, however, told DH that the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Government had alerted the Embassy of India in Moscow about the possibility of a major military operation being launched soon to fully wrest control of Kharkiv from Ukraine.

New Delhi has been asking Moscow to ensure urgent safe passage for Indians stranded in eastern Ukraine. After the death of Naveen, a 21-year-old medical student from Karnataka, in Kharkiv due to shelling by the Russian Army on Tuesday, the Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla once again called in Russia’s ambassador-designate to India, Denis Alipov, and reiterated the demand. He also called in Kyiv’s envoy to New Delhi, Igor Polikha, and asked him to ensure the safe exit of the citizens of India from eastern Ukraine.

Kharkiv has been witnessing intense fighting between the Russian Army advancing from the east and the Ukrainian Army trying to hold on to the second largest city of the East European nation. The paratroopers of the Russian Armed Forces purportedly landed in and around Kharkiv early on Wednesday. Besides, Russia is also sending additional troops towards eastern Ukraine, apparently preparing for a major offensive to take the city.

India had a large number of citizens – mostly medical students – stranded in eastern Ukraine.

Though the Modi Government in New Delhi over the past few days evacuated a large number of Indians from western Ukraine through neighbouring Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovak Republic, it could not help the ones stranded in Kharkiv, Sumy and other places in the war-torn eastern region of the country, due to intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

It was after the death of Naveen in Kharkiv on Tuesday that the Government of India decided to prioritize evacuation of citizens from the city.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
November 21,2024

modiadani.jpg

After the US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani with bribery and fraud, Congress reiterated its call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the transactions of the Adani group, and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging an "internal nexus" between him and "his favourite businessman."

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the indictment of Gautam Adani and others by the US Securities and Exchange Commission validates his party’s call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation.

The Congress has been pushing for the probe since January 2023, raising concerns over alleged irregularities involving Adani and his business dealings, said Ramesh.

Ramesh referred to the party’s “Hum Adani ke Hain” series, where 100 questions were raised about the alleged scams and the links between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani.
He noted that the questions remain unanswered, reiterating the need for accountability in the matter.

The US prosecutors have charged Adani with deceiving investors by concealing information about his firm's solar energy project in India, which allegedly involved bribery.

Adani has been charged with securities fraud and conspiracy, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday. The case focusses on an agreement between Adani Green Energy Ltd. and another organisation to supply 12 gigawatts of solar power to the Indian government.

'BETRAYAL OF INDIAN INVESTORS'

Congress leader Pawan Khera described the allegations against Gautam Adani and his conglomerate as a “betrayal of Indian investors.”

Taking to X, Khera outlined the US charges, including claims that Adani’s group bribed Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 to secure contracts. Citing media reports, he also pointed out that Gautam Adani personally met a government official to advance the scheme.

Khera referred to a March 2024 incident where the Adani Group allegedly misled the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange, calling it a “grave violation of investor trust.”

He further highlighted a March 2023 FBI raid on the premises of Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani’s nephew, where electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation.

'SEBI NOT ABLE TO PROVE ANY CHARGES AGAINST ADANI'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised central probe agencies following US charges against Gautam Adani and others in an alleged bribery case linked to solar energy contracts.

Chaturvedi raised concerns about corporate governance and regulatory oversight in the country. “They talk about corporate governance, responsibility, and accountability. The industrialists should be asked to follow the rules and regulations, but even the agencies were defending him. The SEBI has not yet been able to prove charges against him,” she said, pointing to what she viewed as failures in ensuring accountability.

'BROUGHT DISREPUTE TO INDIA'

On US charges against Gautam Adani, AAP leader Sanjay Singh called for a probe against the industrialist. He said that the probe should be conducted by an investigation agency under the Supreme Court.

"Adani Group has brought disrepute to India. This is a very serious matter. The PM of India should come forward and answer this. All the pending matters against Adani should be probed by an investigation agency under Supreme Court monitoring, and all the corruption done by him, within and outside the country, should come out before the country and action should be taken against him," he said.

BJP DFENDS

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya responded sharply to the Opposition’s criticism regarding allegations involving Adani Green Energy and US-based Azure Power. He pointed out that the charges in the indictment are only allegations and emphasised, “The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”

Malviya argued that the crux of the case concerns agreements to supply 12 GW of power to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), contingent on SECI securing power purchase agreements with state electricity distribution companies (SDCs).

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
November 21,2024

palestainetragedy.jpg

Hamas says the Israeli regime’s sole objective lies in “erasing” the entirety of the Palestinian population from across the Palestinian territories.

Khalil al-Hayya, a ranking official with the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance movement, made the remarks to the Palestinian al-Aqsa TV on Wednesday.

“The occupation targets everyone—it strikes hospitals, civil defense, women, children, and the elderly,” he said, adding that the regime sought to “empty Gaza of its residents, and displace the Palestinian people to fulfill its dreams of building a Zionist Jewish state across all of Palestine.”

The remarks came amid the regime’s October 2023-present war of genocide on the coastal sliver that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

“This unprecedented aggression in modern times evokes scenes from the dark ages of human history, having crossed all red lines and exceeded every expectation of brutality in the modern era,” the Palestinian official lamented.

He also regretted that the regime had added “systematic and dangerous starvation to its aggression, falsely claiming before the world that it allows 250 [aid] trucks into Gaza daily. In reality, the number of trucks is far fewer.”

Hayya, meanwhile, regretted that “scenes of children torn apart, women screaming over their children, and heart-wrenching destruction have failed to stir enough humanity to stop these crimes.”

He decried the United States for vetoing the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions that are aimed at bringing about a potential ceasefire in the war, saying this indicated Washington’s “partnership in the aggression” and a simultaneous siege that the Israeli regime has been enforcing on Gaza.

Addressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official asserted that, despite what the Israeli official is after, Hamas would not hand over the regime’s captives “without [the regime’s] stopping the war.”

He called Netanyahu “the main obstacle” in the way of cessation of the aggression, saying the Israeli premier “blocks any progress for political reasons,” and citing his preventing conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in July.

Hayya also warned that the regime sought to expand the war beyond Gaza, but asserted that its goals are “impossible and will never happen.”

“Today, the enemy exposes its true intentions of extermination and displacement, but it will fail,” he stressed.

“The Palestinian people are resilient and will not surrender, as they believe in their humanitarian and political cause. The enemy and its allies will not succeed in achieving their goals. This steadfast people will endure, and the occupation will not prevail against them.”

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
November 21,2024

modiadani.jpg

After the US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani with bribery and fraud, Congress reiterated its call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the transactions of the Adani group, and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging an "internal nexus" between him and "his favourite businessman."

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the indictment of Gautam Adani and others by the US Securities and Exchange Commission validates his party’s call for a Joint Parliamentary Committee investigation.

The Congress has been pushing for the probe since January 2023, raising concerns over alleged irregularities involving Adani and his business dealings, said Ramesh.

Ramesh referred to the party’s “Hum Adani ke Hain” series, where 100 questions were raised about the alleged scams and the links between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani.
He noted that the questions remain unanswered, reiterating the need for accountability in the matter.

The US prosecutors have charged Adani with deceiving investors by concealing information about his firm's solar energy project in India, which allegedly involved bribery.

Adani has been charged with securities fraud and conspiracy, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday. The case focusses on an agreement between Adani Green Energy Ltd. and another organisation to supply 12 gigawatts of solar power to the Indian government.

'BETRAYAL OF INDIAN INVESTORS'

Congress leader Pawan Khera described the allegations against Gautam Adani and his conglomerate as a “betrayal of Indian investors.”

Taking to X, Khera outlined the US charges, including claims that Adani’s group bribed Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 to secure contracts. Citing media reports, he also pointed out that Gautam Adani personally met a government official to advance the scheme.

Khera referred to a March 2024 incident where the Adani Group allegedly misled the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange, calling it a “grave violation of investor trust.”

He further highlighted a March 2023 FBI raid on the premises of Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani’s nephew, where electronic devices were seized as part of the investigation.

'SEBI NOT ABLE TO PROVE ANY CHARGES AGAINST ADANI'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised central probe agencies following US charges against Gautam Adani and others in an alleged bribery case linked to solar energy contracts.

Chaturvedi raised concerns about corporate governance and regulatory oversight in the country. “They talk about corporate governance, responsibility, and accountability. The industrialists should be asked to follow the rules and regulations, but even the agencies were defending him. The SEBI has not yet been able to prove charges against him,” she said, pointing to what she viewed as failures in ensuring accountability.

'BROUGHT DISREPUTE TO INDIA'

On US charges against Gautam Adani, AAP leader Sanjay Singh called for a probe against the industrialist. He said that the probe should be conducted by an investigation agency under the Supreme Court.

"Adani Group has brought disrepute to India. This is a very serious matter. The PM of India should come forward and answer this. All the pending matters against Adani should be probed by an investigation agency under Supreme Court monitoring, and all the corruption done by him, within and outside the country, should come out before the country and action should be taken against him," he said.

BJP DFENDS

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya responded sharply to the Opposition’s criticism regarding allegations involving Adani Green Energy and US-based Azure Power. He pointed out that the charges in the indictment are only allegations and emphasised, “The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”

Malviya argued that the crux of the case concerns agreements to supply 12 GW of power to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), contingent on SECI securing power purchase agreements with state electricity distribution companies (SDCs).

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.