Congress today approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre's assistance to bring back Indians stranded in Iraq ravaged by violence.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, former MP and Congress spokesperson P C Chacko said there are 46 nurses and paramedics from Kerala who are trapped in hospitals in Iraq and called Congress leaders over telephone narrating their sad plight.
He also said Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy also received such distress calls and has already written a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj requesting assistance from the central government for repatriation of the Indian workforce stranded in Iraq.
"On behalf of Indians and Keralites and in view of the precarious situation in strife-torn Iraq, I shall request your kindest intervention for a high-level intercession with the government of Iraq to ensure the safety, security, evacuation and repatriation of Indian workforce trapped in that country," Chacko said in the letter.
Noting that several Indians are stranded in the towns of Mosul, Kirkuk and Tikrit, he said these people have reported that there is no law and order in violence-affected areas and the streets are flooded with arms-wielding rebels.
"They are living without food and water and fear for their lives. They are pleading for the intervention of the government of India in granting them protection and aiding their safe evacuation and repatriation," Chacko said.
Talking to reporters separately, Chacko said he has urged the Centre to take effective steps to ensure the safe return of Indians trapped in Iraq.
