Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party are meeting family members of students from Karnataka, who are stranded in Ukraine, to boost their confidence and assure them of efforts to ensure the safe return of the students, said State BJP president and Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel.
Talking to reporters in Mangaluru on March 2 after meeting a few of the family members of students from the city, who are among the medical students stranded in Ukraine, Mr. Kateel said the party has set up a war room where all information about the stranded students is being collected. This will be shared with State and Central agencies involved in facilitating safe passage for the students.
“We are trying to boost their confidence and provide all possible support to ensure safe passage of all stranded Indians, including 18 from Dakshina Kannada,” Mr. Kateel said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Kateel said, has set up a team of four Union Ministers, who are working tirelessly on the task. Issues, including of travel agents withholding passports of students, are being addressed, he said.
“Two students have already boarded a flight and a few more students are on the way to Romania. We are trying to ensure safe passage for all stranded students in a week,” Mr. Kateel told reporters.
Earlier, during his interaction with Mr. Kateel, Vidya Bhat, mother of stranded student Anusha Bhat, said her daughter is safely lodged in a basketball court in Romania, along with 300 other students. She requested the Union Government to arrange for safe passage of her daughter and other students to India.
Spoorti Sudhakar, mother of Sakshi Sudhakar, asked Mr. Kateel to make arrangement for continuation of her daughter’s studies in India. Ms. Sakshi has completed the 3rd year of a medical course, and arrangements have to be made for the fourth year of the course, she said.
Mr. Kateel visited family members of Ahmed Sha Harshad in Morgans Gate in Mangaluru where he spoke with a student through a video call. Mr. Harshad said he was safely housed in a place in a country adjoining Ukraine.
Mother of another stranded student Anaina Anna received assurance from Mr. Kateel that her daughter’s problem with her passport will be resolved at the earliest and she will shortly fly back to Mangaluru.
Of 18 stranded medical students from Dakshina Kannada district, 12 are from Mangaluru. Teams of officials, led by the local tahsildar, have been deputed to meet family members and coordinate with Central and State Government agencies to facilitate safe passage for the students.
