Mamata questions delays in bringing back students, urges more rescue flights

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday questioned the delay in bringing back students stranded in war-hit Ukraine and expressed her concern over their condition.

She urged that an adequate number of flights be arranged for their safe return home.

”I am very much worried about the lives of Indian students stuck in Ukraine. Life is very precious. Why is it taking so much time to bring them back? Why were steps not taken earlier?,” Banerjee tweeted.

”I urge the central government that an adequate number of flights be arranged immediately and all the students be brought back as soon as possible,” she added.

Banerjee on Monday had promised unconditional support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his handling of the Ukraine crisis. Before that former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, currently a vice president in TMC had urged that the Prime Minister can play a significant role by acting as a peace-maker between Russia and Ukraine. Banerjee in her letter sent on Monday had said, “In times of grave international crisis, we keep aside our domestic disagreements to stand united as a nation … We do this to ensure that the principles on which we conduct our foreign affairs continue to be stable in the global arena”.

However, the chief minister had also said concerns had been expressed on “our general stand on the war,” and said that since Independence, India has been known for her commitment to international peace and opposition to trans-border invasion and interference. The civil aviation ministry has on Friday announced that some eleven civilian and four IAF flights will return to India carrying home students and other Indians stranded in Ukraine. An ongoing operation called Ganga of flights from states bordering Ukraine has been bringing back the students for the last few days.