Evacuate Indians, help Afghans seeking refuge: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday reviewed the situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and directed officials for the safe evacuation of Indians in the coming days.

The Prime Minister also directed officials to extend all possible help to “Afghan brothers and sisters” looking forward to assistance from India, particularly the Sikh and Hindu minorities who are seeking refuge.

A special invitee to the CCS meeting was Rudrendra Tandon, India’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, who returned to Delhi on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla were among those who were present at the meeting.

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Shringla briefed the CCS about the situation in Afghanistan and Tandon too is learnt to have shared his first-hand experience in the nation that was run over by the Taliban militia.

The government released photographs and a short video of the meeting but no official statement was issued.

Tandon and all staff members from the Indian embassy in Kabul were brought Delhi military transport aircraft in the wake of escalating tension and deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital after its takeover by the Taliban.

A military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force brought back from Kabul around 150 people including Indian diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians on Tuesday. Another flight had evacuated around 40 staffers from Kabul on Monday.