Row erupts over govt's handling of Iraq abduction crisis after deaths of 39 Indians announced

A row erupted over the government's handling of the abduction of 39 Indians in Iraq by ISIS four years ago after it was announced today they were dead with the Congress and some family members accusing it of giving false hopes and the External Affairs ministry rejecting the charge.

The Congress and other opposition parties like the CPI-M and the National Conference also slammed the government for making the announcement of the deaths in Parliament before intimating the families concerned, calling it "insensitive and unpardonable". External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier in the day told Parliament that all the 39 Indians abducted in Mosul are dead and their bodies have been recovered.

A group of 40 Indian workers, most of them from Punjab, were taken hostage by terror outfit ISIS when it overran Iraq's second largest city Mosul in 2014. Of the 40 Indians, one Harjit Masih from Gurdaspur had managed to escape and had claimed to have witnessed the massacre of the others. But the government rejected his claim.

Congress Communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said the Modi Government has crossed all limits of insensitivity as it preferred to make the announcement of deaths of 39 Indians on television than call up every families of those dead.

"Modi Government has crossed all limits of insensitivity. The Indian Government had on seven occasions told the families of the 39 Indians kinapped by ISIS in Iraq that they are alive. The question is why did the Modi Government mislead the nation and the family members of those Indians kidnapped by ISIS," he told reporters.

Referring to her statements in Parliament in 2014 and 2017, Swaraj said, "I never gave any false hope to anyone. I was not involved in any falsehood. It was an effort which was perhaps never been made in this country".

She further said, "I had very clearly said that I will declare them dead if I get conclusive proof. I kept my word. I will get my closure when the families receive the bodies."
"It was my duty to first inform the House about (it)."
CPI (M) leader Mohammad Salim said this showed how "insensitive and inhuman" the government is. "It is a farce. The government should have contacted the families of the victims first before Parliament was informed."