State BJP president L. Murugan on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to hasten the process of contacting other nations to bring back Tamil Nadu natives, who are stranded abroad.
In a letter to Mr. Modi and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Mr. Murugan said the Central and State governments must work together to quickly identify Tamils living abroad and bring them back. “I request the government to especially take immediate steps to evacuate 1,500 Tamil fishermen stuck in Iran,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Murugan said the efforts taken by the MEA to bring back Indians stuck abroad was appreciable. “It is heartening to hear that the government is taking steps to repatriate Indians living abroad, especially in the UAE. The news that the government is also working on modalities to evacuate people by air in countries that cannot be reached via sea is also encouraging,” he said.
The State BJP president said the Tamil Nadu government must take steps to transport those who are brought back to the State and help them reach their hometowns or villages quickly.
He also demanded that the government be prepared to undertake medical examination of such evacuees and ramp up medical facilities accordingly.