The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded a statement by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Parliament on the plight of stranded Indians, mainly from Punjab, in strife-torn Iraq.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and four party MPs from Punjab on Wednesday met the families of the abducted workers, who began a dharna in Jantar Mantar from Wednesday.
The families, who have been running from pillar to post, later met officials of the Ministry of External Affairs, along with Bhagwant Mann, AAP’s MP from Sangrur in Punjab.
In a release issued later, AAP said the Central Government should be more pro-active in ensuring the safe return of Indian workers still stuck in Iraq.
“The absence of any information about the plight of 39 abducted countrymen is a matter of grave concern and the External Affairs Minister Ms Sushma Swaraj should make a statement in Parliament about the latest situation,” the party said.
While admitting that safe return of Indian required a “mix of deft diplomacy and use of good offices with friendly countries”, AAP said it was ready to provide all the help to the Government.
According to the party, at least 3,000 Indians are still stranded in armed conflict-hit Iraq and there was no word on the plight of 39 workers abducted by the ISIS, who have been in custody.