‘India stands with citizens in good and bad times’: BJP on ‘Operation Ajay’
India has become a country that can be relied on to fight for its citizens in tough times, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Friday, hailing the central government’s efforts in bringing back the Indians stranded in war-torn Israel.
“This was a moment of pride for India…in the midst of a horrifying war in Israel, a sensitive and a strong government is taking concrete steps towards those trapped in Israel. This shows that if anyone has the ability or the heart to work 24 hours for its citizens even in difficult times, it is Shri Narendra Modi ji’s government, the central government,” BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said at a press conference in Delhi.
He said that at least 212 Indian citizens have returned from Israel to India safely as of Friday morning.
“We know that India has become a country that stands with its citizens in good and bad times. We used to watch other developed nations, like the USA or the UK, run rescue operations a decade ago. They used to get their own citizens and also citizens of other countries from war-torn areas. Today, things have changed. Now, India’s strong government, under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is not only helping its own citizens but also the citizens of other countries,” Bhatia said.
He also recounted several successful rescue operations conducted over the years since 2015 under the Modi government. Speaking of Operation Rahat in 2015, Operation Sankat Mochan in 2016, and the recent rescue operations in Afghanistan and Ukraine, Bhatia said India has been working hard to repatriate not only its own citizens but also the citizens of other countries now.
“Operation Ajay is also important because every Indian today — even if they are in a foreign country — has faith that the Indian government and the 140 crore Indians will take every step necessary to ensure the safe return of these citizens.”
Bhatia also praised the efforts of minister of external affairs S Jaishankar in coordinating with Israel to meet the needs of all citizens stuck in Israel.
He appealed to the Indians in Israel to stay calm and remain safe.
“I appeal to those citizens stuck there to stay calm and remain safe, and we will ensure that each one of you returns to India safely. This is our commitment to you, and I make this statement with some responsibility here. In tough times, we will give out a strong message that times may be tough, but India is tougher. We will ensure the safety of every citizen who is stuck in the war-torn region,” Bhatia said.
The BJP spokesperson also thanked the media for making India proud by reporting bravely from the war-torn regions in Israel without fear and hesitation.
“It shows your commitment to reporting every event that affects the lives of human beings and especially of India…I applaud the passion of every journalist. India is proud of you,” he said.