Govt's responsibility to bring back Indians from Yemen: Gowda

Says he is working on it and he has been in continuous touch with the External Affairs Ministry

Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda today said it was government’s responsibility to bring back stranded Indians from strife-torn Yemen and expressed hope that all of them would be brought dback safely.

“I am working on it and I have been in continuous touch with the External Affairs Ministry. Already three rounds of meeting have been held by our embassy in Yemen,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a foundation stone laying ceremony of upgrading of two national highway projects in Karnataka here.

Asked about the timeline for evacuating Indians, he said the issue would be taken up in today’s cabinet meeting and it was the responsibility of the government to bring back Indians from strife-torn Yemen.

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the Narendra Modi government was making arrangements to evacuate Indians stranded in the strife-torn country, but it should act quickly.

“I had posed this question to Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) during Gandhi Peace Foundation Prize Day. He told that he is at it and they (government) are doing it, because this is very delicate thing, and we have to save their (stranded Indians in Yemen) lives, but they (central government) have to act quickly,” Kharge said.

“They (government) have to see that the Indians are evacuated from Yemen as it is a question of safety,” he said. Kharge also stressed the need for the government and the opposition to work together for evacuating the Indians.

There are about 3,500 Indians, most of whom are nurses, in various provinces of Yemen including Sana’a. On the controversial Land Bill, Kharge said, “Let us see what changes they (Centre) are going to bring. What are the changes; what are the amendments; what are the new proposals - we will see and act,” he said.