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17-08-2021
Bureau Report + Agencies
NEW DELHI/ KABUL: India has finally shut down its embassy in Kabul. The news has been confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs of Twitter. FE Online has been told by the sources that apart from diplomats, two Indian journalists are also aboard that flight. An Indian 
Air Force C-17 aircraft took its second flight on Tuesday morning to bring back the Embassy staff. After a prolonged silence, India on Monday night issued an official statement, in which it primarily spoke about evacuation. There was no mention of the Taliban. The special focus was on Afghan Hindus and Sikhs. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has defended his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. Though he did admit that the fall of the Afghan government was swifter than what his administration had anticipated, Biden still maintained that leaving Afghanistan was the right thing to do.
The principal Opposition party Congress has urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure the safety and security of Indian citizens in Afghanistan.
AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here on Monday that the situation in Afghanistan is extremely alarming and India’s strategic interests are at stake. “Safety and security of our embassy and its personnel as also that of Indian citizens are at stake. Congress party stands solidly behind protecting India’s interests and expects a mature political and diplomatic response from our government over the complete collapse of government in Afghanistan and Taliban takeover,” Surjewala said.
He said the “stunning silence” of Narendra Modi government is “deeply disturbing and highly intriguing, which is beyond any reasonable understanding.” Modi government’s refusal to set in motion a well thought out plan to evacuate our citizens is a gross abdication of its duty and is totally unacceptable,” he added.
He reminded the Centre that Taliban and Haqqani Network’s connections with Pakistan’s ISI, JeM, LeT and JuD are well known. “There is an urgent need to revisit our geo-political interests in this background and its impact on Jammu and Kashmir. Sadly, Modi government is oblivious of the same. Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister need to come out and clearly spell out our policy for safe return of our citizens, embassy personnel as also our future relationship,” he said.
Unexplained silence at this extremely critical juncture gives rise to a reasonable apprehension that Modi government is hiding something from the country, he said. “We are still in the dark over Modi government’s role in Doha talks. Need of the hour is that Modi government wakes up from its slumber and protects Indian citizens in Afghanistan and tells the country how it will tackle the dangerous situation in the immediate neighbourhood,” Surjewala said.
