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Congress on Friday demanded government reveal data on the number of Indian citizens stranded in Russia amid conflict with Ukraine in the region.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that 126 Indian citizens, including young men from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, and Maharashtra, were "trafficked into the Russian Army to fight the war". He said, among them, "at least 14 remain missing." "These men were tempted by agents who promised them employment in Singapore, Malaysia, or Italy, but instead sent them to Russia, where they were handed rifles to fight after 15 days of training, pushing them into a brutal conflict, despite a few of them having physical disabilities," he said. Warring said that their families have only received assurances from the government of India, and "they were forced to find out the truth by themselves". "The Indian Embassy officials in Moscow didn't help him at all, they refused to provide even the address of the Russian External Ministry office," he said. Warring claimed that agents charged around Rs 35 lakh for sending people to their preferred countries, but "instead pushed them into Russia's war". "Despite multiple appeals to the Ministry of External Affairs, no concrete help has been extended," he said, adding it raises serious questions. The Punjab Congress president asked, "why the Modi government has failed to take swift action to bring back our missing citizens. Why was Russia allowed to recruit Indian civilians in its Army without due permission?" he asked, adding, "Why have families not received official updates?" The senior Congress leader demanded updated information from the MEA on the status of all missing Indians in Russia. He also demanded action against agents who have already been named by the victims' families. (ANI)
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