By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday activated a dedicated Twitter handle, “OpGanga Helpline” (@opganga), to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from war-torn Ukraine.
The mission to evacuate the stranded Indians from Ukraine has been named as “Operation Ganga”.
India has already set up round-the-clock “control centres” in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine through border-crossing points with these countries.
The helpline numbers of the control room in Poland are: +48225400000, +48795850877 and +48792712511. Those requiring help can also write an email to [email protected], according to the MEA.
The helpline numbers of the control room in Romania are: +40732124309, +40771632567, +40745161631 and +40741528123. The email address for contacting the control room in Romania is [email protected].
The MEA said Indians can contact the control room in Hungary on phone numbers +36 308517373, +36 13257742 and +36 13257743. It also has a WhatsApp number: +36 308517373 for assistance.
The helpline numbers of the control room in Slovakia are +421 252631377, +421 252962916 and +421 951697560. The email address is [email protected].
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis on Sunday and asserted that ensuring the safety of Indian students and evacuating them is the government’s top priority, official sources said.
It was also decided at the meeting to further enhance cooperation with the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to expedite the evacuation of Indian students, they said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was part of the meeting, which was also attended by top government officials, including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The meeting lasted for over two hours, the sources said.
Modi presided over the meeting immediately upon his return from Uttar Pradesh, where he addressed public meetings as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign for the state Assembly polls.
A large number of Indians, mostly students, are stranded in Ukraine following Russia’s attack on the country. India has begun evacuating them and over 900 people have been brought back since Saturday.
Modi has also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, with India calling for dialogue to defuse the crisis.
