Ukraine crisis: Former PM HD Devegowda urges political fraternity not to 'politicize evacuation process' amid ongoing 'Operation Ganga'

Amid India's ongoing efforts to bring back the stranded Indians from Ukraine amid crisis through "Operation Ganga", former prime minister HD Devegowda on Monday urged the political fraternity not to politicize the evacuation process and said that doing so will "demoralize those conducting the operation".

Taking to Twitter, Devegowda said that scoring points at the hour of crisis will put them in a bad light and suggested the leaders to work together.

"I know from experience that these operations can be tough and delicate. Let us not politicize the evacuation process. It will demoralize those conducting the operation. Scoring points at this hour of crisis will make us look bad. Let us work together," he tweeted.

Calling the call for evacuation by the stranded Indians "heart-wrenching", the former prime minister said that it is only fair to extend support to the officials working on the ground when there is "uncertainty" on the ground.

"I have been watching videos of our young citizens stranded in Ukraine making fervent pleas for evacuation. It is heart-wrenching to see their plight. I can understand their desperation to get back home safely. But when a war is raging in that country and there is so much uncertainty on the ground, and when operational links are broken, it is only fair that we support our officers and embassies to focus on the job at hand," Devegowda said urging the leaders to come together in this time of crisis.

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be overseeing evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Romania and Moldova, while Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju will be visiting Slovakia.

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will be overlooking operations in Hungary, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport Gen (Retd) VK Singh will manage evacuations in Poland.

Earlier today, as the sixth evacuation flight from Hungary's capital Budapest carrying 240 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine landed at the Delhi airport on Monday, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi welcomed them and said the Indian government is working round the clock to bring back every Indian in this hour of crisis.

( With inputs from ANI )

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