PM Modi says safety of Indians is our top priority amid global tensions

Prime Minister Modi said parts of the world were facing a “war-like” situation.

New Delhi:

Escalating tensions in West Asia, with Iran firing more than 300 artillery shells at Israel in response to an airstrike on its embassy in Syria, further worsened the situation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. Amid hostilities and the specter of war, the top priority of the Centre’s BJP-led national development agenda, if elected for a third time, will be ensuring the lives of fellow Indians in conflict zones.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto launch for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and stressed the importance of returning to power with an absolute majority, saying it would help the government tackle global challenges and rescue the troubled and troubled of Indian natives. Resolve issues in conflict areas through decisive action.

Addressing party leaders, including Union ministers, at the BJP’s national headquarters in Delhi after unveiling the BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’, Prime Minister Modi said parts of the world were facing a “war-like” situation .

“Today’s world is shrouded in clouds of uncertainty, with many regions engulfed in war, and the world is tense and restless. At such a moment, ensuring the safety and security of citizens has become a top priority.” For any newly elected government . Therefore, if we are reelected, the safety of our people will be our government’s top priority. Prime Minister Modi said.

“In an era when the fear of war grips the world, it is even more necessary to elect a strong, stable government with a complete majority. We should have a government that makes the country stronger and more economically resilient.” Facing global challenges , if re-elected, our manifesto will ensure that we achieve the ultimate goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed country). government,” PM Modi added.

His remarks are significant when viewed and interpreted in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine in Eastern Europe and Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Even in its second term, the BJP-led NDA has shown intent and action in airlifting stranded Indians from conflict zones.

As tensions between Russia and Ukraine turned into a full-scale military conflict, the Indian government launched an evacuation mission to rescue citizens stranded in Ukraine.

Operation Ganga was announced on February 26, 2022 and will last until March 11, 2022. As part of the mission, Air Force aircraft and private jets conducted multiple flights to bring back stranded locals from conflict zones while providing humanitarian relief in Eastern Europe. The operation resulted in the evacuation of approximately 25,000 Indian nationals and citizens of 18 other countries.

In a similar rescue plan, the Center launched Operation Ajay under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back stranded Indian citizens from Israel, which was at war with Hamas last year The horrific terrorist attack on October 7th.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, as of December last year, 1,309 Indian citizens, 14 OCI card holders and 20 Nepalis from Israel had been rescued under Operation Ajay.

In April last year, in another daring operation, a C-130J heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force rescued 121 people from a small airport in Wadi Sayyidna, about 40 kilometers north of the violence-hit Sudanese capital Khartoum.

The airport’s runway surface was degraded, with no navigational equipment or fuel and, crucially, no landing lights needed to guide the aircraft into a nighttime landing. Pilots use night vision goggles (NVGs) to perform landings at night.

The mission to rescue trapped Indians from Khartoum was codenamed Operation Kaveri.
It is worth noting that after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Indian Air Force also conducted a similar operation to evacuate Indians from Kabul.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also weighed in on the government’s intention to bring embattled Indians to safety in conflict zones, saying: “They (world powers) take note of how we take care of our people abroad. Citizen. It could be ‘Operation Ganga’ or ‘Kaveri’ or ‘Ajay’, it could be ‘Vande Bharat’ mission during COVID-19. “

Prime Minister Modi on Sunday also praised India for amplifying the voices of the global South by lending a voice to developing countries.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)