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Congress MP from Assam's Koraput, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, said that a resident of Hinjili in Ganjam district, Odisha, who has been kidnapped in the African country of Mali is out of communication and requested the External Affairs Ministry to take cognizance of the matter.
An al-Qaeda abducted three Indians linked terrorist group in West Africa's Mali. "A resident of Hinjili in Ganjam district, Odisha, has been kidnapped in the African country of Mali. And he has been out of communication. We are deeply concerned about his safety and would request the External Affairs Minister to take cognisance of the matter and take the necessary action... I will be writing to the Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, urging him to take immediate action in this regard", he told ANI a day earlier. Earlier on Saturday, the brother-in-law of P Venkataraman, a resident of Odisha's Ganjam district who is among the three Indians abducted by an al-Qaeda linked terrorist group in West Africa's Mali, said that the terrorists are demanding ransom. The brother-in-law told ANI on Saturday, "Venkat last called me on June 30. He worked in a cement factory in Mali, West Africa. He said his company had stopped them from going out as terrorists were present. This kidnapping incident happened on July 1." He added that initially, the company had informed them that his brother-in-law was in police custody after the terrorists set fire to the factory; however, later, they came to know about the abduction and were asked not to leak the information. "We got a call from the company that he and some others are in police custody as terrorists have set the factory on fire. An international news claimed that Al-Qaeda had kidnapped some people. We called the company to confirm this, and they refused us to leak this information and said that the terrorists are demanding ransom in exchange for the people," he said. "We waited for a few days and then complained to the police. I called and mailed the embassy but did not get any response. I demand that my brother-in-law be brought back home safely," Venkataraman's brother-in-law told ANI. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed deep concern over the abduction of three Indian workers from a factory in Mali's Kayes region and urged authorities in the West African country to ensure their "safe and expeditious" rescue. "It has come to the knowledge of the Government of India that many military and government installations at multiple locations of western and central Mali were attacked by terrorists on July 1," the MEA said in a statement on Wedneday. The armed attack took place at the Diamond Cement Factory in Kayes. Condemning the incident, the MEA said the Indian embassy in Bamako is in constant contact with local authorities, security agencies, and the families of the abducted workers. In its statement, the MEA described the act as "deplorable" and reaffirmed India's strong stand against violence targeting its citizens abroad. "The Embassy of India in Bamako is in close and constant communication with the relevant authorities of the Government of Mali, local law enforcement agencies, as well as the management of Diamond Cement Factory," the MEA statement read. (ANI)
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