Father Tom's abduction is a failure of Indian diplomacy: Congress

Dubbing catholic priest Father Tom's abduction by the Islamic State as a 'tragic situation', the Congress Party on Wednesday hit out at the government stating that it is the failure of the Indian diplomacy.

"Let the government of India use all its influence, its diplomatic contacts with other countries and make early release of the priest because it is very tragic situation. It is the failure of the Indian diplomacy," Congress leader P.C. Chacko told ANI.

The Congress leader further said that the government of India has not taken consistent stand on the issue which is very sad.

"Sushma Swaraj has taken some initiatives to locate the missing priest in the initial stage. Unfortunately, there was information that he is under the custody because he is an Indian and nobody is there to rescue him. A European colleague who was held hostage along with him was released because of the effort from his government's side," he added.

Chacko's statement comes in the wake of abduction of Father Thomas Uzhunnalil, who is under Islamic State's captivity in Yemen since March.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday asserted that the government won't spare any effort to secure the former's release.

"I have seen the video from Fr Tom. He is an Indian citizen and the life of every Indian is most precious for us. We got Fr Alex Prem Kumar and Judith D'Souza released from Afghanistan. We have spared no effort and we will spare no effort to secure Fr Tom's release from captivity," Sushma tweeted.

Father Tom, who hails from Kerala and works in a Church at Aden, in a video posted through web, appealed to the Government of India to release from his captors.

"President and Prime Minister, I am sad nothing done seriously in my regard. If I was a European priest then I might have been taken more seriously by authorities and people would have got me released," he said.

"I am from India and therefore I am perhaps not considered of much value, I'm sad. Dear Pope Francis, please take care of my life. I request my fellow human beings of different Governments to come forward and help me," he added.

The video was uploaded earlier this week on Youtube and Facebook.However, the video's veracity was not verified.

Father Tom was abducted by the terror group when it attacked an old-age home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Aden.