Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary today claimed that the BJP-led Centre is trying to politicise the evacuation of Indians stranded in war-hit Ukraine in view of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
Noting that the rescue mission of Indians from Kuwait three decades ago did not have any name, Mr Chaudhary said that the current operation in Ukraine has been named 'Ganga' by the government with "an eye on Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh polls".
Speaking at a joint rally of Samajwadi Party alliance parties in Varanasi, the RLD president said the world is facing a troubled time at the moment and hoped global leaders understand the damage being caused to humanity due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and work towards ending it soon.
"I pray Indians stranded in Ukraine return to their homes safe. There is a lot of show off. PM Narendra Modi has named 'Operation Ganga' in election rallies in a bid to make it an election issue," Mr Chaudhary said.
"I want to remind you all that three decades ago, lakhs of Indians were stranded in Kuwait during a war there. They were taken to Jordan from Kuwait by buses and then brought to India by air. The whole world had lauded our efforts and the evacuation found a mention in the Guinness Book of World Record also," he said.
"No name was given to that operation then but now this evacuation has been given a name as it seems that those in power have an eye on the Ganga here (Varanasi) and on UP elections. They are not worried or bothered about Indians stranded in Ukraine," the RLD chief claimed.
He added that he was hopeful that a "good name like Ganga" will ensure everything will be good in the end and the stranded Indians would return home safe.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is holding a mega show of strength in Varanasi today through a joint rally with his alliance partners.
Besides RLD, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has also joined him for the event.
Keshav Dev Maurya of Mahan Dal, Krishna Patel of Apna Dal (Kameravadi), Shivpal Yadav of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Chauhan of Janwadi Party (Socialist), Om Prakash Rajbhar of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), among others also joined the opposition programme.
The event coincides with the sixth phase of assembly polls in the state. The seventh and last phase of the polls will take place on March 7. Election results will be declared on March 10.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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