Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reached out to Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar and has been assured that the situation in Ukraine is being monitored closely.
Mr. Bommai said that officials of Karnataka are in constant touch with the Indian embassy in Ukraine, which has provided information about Indian students stuck in that country.
He told reporters, “I have spoken to the Union External Affairs Minister in the morning (February 25). The Union Government is doing everything possible to bring back the stranded Indians safely. The possibility of evacuating them to safety through land routes is being explored as air services have been hit by the war with Russia. There is information about the possibility of secure transit towards the western part of Ukraine. The Indian embassy in Ukraine is in touch with stranded Indian students.
“We have appealed to ensure the safety of the students, and make arrangements for their food and accommodation. Helplines have been set up by both Union and State Governments. The Union Minister for External Affairs has appealed to the students to be careful till the hostilities subside,” Mr. Bommai said.
Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Bommai to take steps to ensure the safe return of students Karnataka who are stranded in Ukraine. “The news reports of Kannadigas & particularly students being stranded in Ukraine are very concerning. I urge @CMofKarnataka & @PMO to make all arrangements for their safe return”, Mr. Siddaramaiah tweeted.
As many as 346 persons from Karnataka are stranded in crisis-hit Ukraine, according to the figures shared by the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) at 3.30 p.m. on February 25. As many as 115 of them are from Bengaluru.
