Congress demands urgent evacuation of Indians from Iran

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday demanded urgent measures from the Indian government to ensure the safe return of Indians from Iran, which is involved in a conflict with Israel.

Pawan Khera, chairman of the media and publicity department of the All India Congress Committee, accused the government of not acting with alacrity on the issue of evacuating Indians from the war-torn nation.

“We have been raising this issue for the past three days. Many of our students from Kashmir are there. We have been asking the government to wake up and realise that issuing advisories is not enough,” Khera told IANS.

“The government must make arrangements for the safe return of Indians from there,” he said.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday that amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Indian students in Tehran have been relocated from the city, and some Indian nationals have been assisted in leaving the country through the border with Armenia.

As the Israel-Iran conflict entered its fifth day, the hostilities between the two nations continued to escalate. Several missiles from Iran were fired at Israel, triggering air raid sirens in Haifa and dozens of other cities across northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, confirmed the Israeli military.

“Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for reasons of safety, through arrangements made by the Embassy. Other residents who are self-sufficient in terms of transport have also been advised to move out of the city in view of the developing situation,” the MEA said.

“Separately, some Indians have been facilitated to leave Iran through the border with Armenia,” it added.

The Ministry also said that the Indian Embassy is continuously in touch with the community to provide all feasible assistance. It stated that further advisory will be issued for the security of Indian nationals.

Earlier in the day, India urged its nationals in Iran and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) to evacuate Tehran and shift to a safer location following escalating tensions in the region.

–IANS