States »SoutPosted at: Aug 21 2021 5:03PM

Two Kannadigas in Kabul in touch with us: Karnataka Nodal Officer

Bengaluru, Aug 21 (UNI) Two persons from Karnataka stranded in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have contacted the nodal office set up for bringing back Kannadigas from Afghanistan in coordination with the Union Government.
"So far two persons have contacted us and we have passed on the information to the Ministry of External Affairs. Most probably, the MEA has established contact with them. They are making all efforts to bring them back. They may be brought back to Delhi or any ... It all depends on the MEA programme," Nodal Officer Umesh Kumar told reporters.
The office does not have specific details of the number of Kannadigas stranded in Afghanistan.
"The MEA is making efforts to bring back Indians. They are not looking at who are from Karnataka or other states. They are trying to evacuate all Indians. And most importantly, who are feeling threatened by living in Afghanistan are contacting us through emails and telephone numbers. There may be other Indians who could have got adjusted to stay back in Afghanistan," Kumar said.
Replying to a query, he said, "It is left to the MEA. They will decide how to bring the Indians back. Airlifting them, using commercial planes or Indian Air Force aircraft."
The state government has brought to the notice of the MEA about the demand of temporary visas for Afghan students pursuing higher studies in Karnataka. And, MEA has assured to take a decision in this regard.
UNI BDN SHK1703