India 'closely monitoring' developments in Kazakhstan: MEA

India is closely monitoring ongoing developments in Kazakhstan amid protests in the country, said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday.

"Our embassy in Kazakhstan is closely monitoring ongoing developments there particularly from the perspective of the safety of Indian nationals there", Bagchi said during the weekly press briefing.

Bagchi also stressed assisting Indian citizens in Kazakhstan and said, "We will, of course, assist any Indians in distress. For the moment we are not aware of any such incident or situation."

Kazakhstan is witnessing a massive protest over soaring fuel prices across the country. The protest took place in the western town of Zhanaozen against the doubling of the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which most Kazakhs use as car fuel, Al Jazeera reported.

Amid nationwide agitation in Kazakhstan, protesters have pulled down the statue of the country's first President Nursultan Nazarbayev. A state of emergency has been declared in the country in the light of the eruption of this violent protest.

Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) forces will be dispatched to Kazakhstan for a limited period and will guard state and military facilities and assist local law enforcement, the secretariat of the organization said on Thursday.

( With inputs from ANI )

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