20 Students Yet To Be Evacuated From Ukraine, Others Don't Want To Leave: MEA

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

(Photo: Screenshot/YouTube)

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a media briefing on Thursday, 17 February, that Operation Ganga in Ukraine is still not over and about 15-20 Indian students in Kherson are yet to be evacuated from the war-torn country.

He added that some students were in isolated regions while some students did not want to return.

"As per our assessment, 15-20 want to leave, rest of them don't want it. There is a war going on. Our focus is to get out by whatever means possible. We can take any route. We'll see that a way to evacuate them comes out."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi

"We are providing all possible assistance to these people. Some people are still in Kherson. Operation Ganga is not over and we are helping all those who wish to be evacuated," Bagchi said.

He added that over 22,500 Indians have been evacuated so far.

On OIC's Invitation to Hurriyat

Bagchi, during the press conference on Thursday, also hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for inviting the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference to attend the foreign minister’s meeting in Islamabad on 22-23 March.

"The government takes seriously the actions, motive of which is to destroy India's unity and sovereignty. We hope that OIC will not encourage nations or organisations indulging in terrorism and anti-India activities. It is unfortunate that it's driven by single agenda," said Bagchi, in a veiled attack at Pakistan.

He added that the MEA has repeatedly called upon the OIC to refrain from “allowing vested interests to exploit the platform for comments on India's internal affairs.”