New Delhi: With several MPs receiving anxious calls from families of Indian nationals stuck in war-hit Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has asked parliamentarians to directly contact his office to flag "particular concerns" and share information about such people. "Please be assured that we are taking cognizance of all enquiries and information. All of them will be attended to by Team MEA representatives on the ground," the Union minister said in a letter sent out to all MPs on Monday. He also shared an e-mail ID and WhatsApp numbers on which the MPs can share details.
The government has launched "Operation Ganga" to evacuate Indian citizens, mostly students, from Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia. The government had on Monday decided to send four ministers to several neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation exercise. "You are naturally getting many anxious enquiries from the families of students and other Indian nationals who are still in Ukraine, Ministry of External Affairs has set up a helpline for the public...," he said in his letter detailing its numbers and e-mail IDs. In addition, depending on which border the person concerned is moving towards, separate helplines have been set up in Indian embassies in Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, he said.