Able to evacuate citizens from Ukraine because of India's rising power: PM

'We're making all efforts to evacuate people stuck in Ukraine under Operation Ganga,' says PM Modi at a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh's Robertsganj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that it is because of India's "rising strength" that the government was able to evacuate the Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine amid conflict with Russia. Addressing a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Robertsganj, PM Modi said, "It is due to India's rising strength that we are able to safely evacuate our nationals stuck in Ukraine, for which we are running Operation Ganga."

"We're making all efforts to evacuate people stuck in Ukraine under Operation Ganga. Thousands of citizens were brought back to India. To accelerate this mission, India has sent its four ministers there, and the government will leave no stone unturned for the safe evacuation of Indians," he added. Slamming the Opposition parties for mocking the 'Atmanirbhar Abhiyan' (self-reliance motion) initiative by the Centre, the Prime Minister said that they can never be a party to India's strength.

"People who mock 'Atmanirbhar Abhiyan' insult our (defence) forces. Such dynasts can never strengthen India. They are the same people who spread rumours about the country's COVID vaccines," he said. Tomorrow, Uttar Pradesh will go to the sixth phase of the polling in the ongoing state Assembly elections, determining the fate of 676 candidates, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in 57 Assembly seats spread across 10 districts of the state.

Of the total 57, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had domination in the last elections in 2017. The BJP had won 46 seats while Apna Dal had won one seat. The Samajwadi Party (SP) had won only two seats, while Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won five seats. Congress and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) had won one seat each respectively. The 10 districts going to the polls in the sixth phase are Gorakhpur, Ambedkarnagar, Ballia, Balrampur, Basti, Deoria, Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Sant Kabir Nagar and Siddharthnagar.

The 2022 Assembly elections to elect 403 members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly are being held in seven phases. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on March 10, 2022.