Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he is praying for the safety of all amid Afghan crisis. (File)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh thanked the centre for its "rescue efforts" in evacuating 78 people, which included 44 Afghan Sikhs, from Afghanistan and bringing them to India on Tuesday.
Mr Singh, while sharing a video on twitter, also said that he was happy to learn that three copies of Guru Granth Sahib were flown to India from Kabul on the same flight.
"Happy to learn that 3 Swaroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji have reached New Delhi through a special flight from Kabul. 78 people including 25 Indian nationals and 44 Afghan Sikhs have also landed in India. Thank the Govt of India for their rescue efforts & pray for safety of all," he wrote on Twitter.
In the video shared by Mr Singh, the copies of the Sikh holy scripture, shielded by umbrellas, can be seen being carried out of the Delhi airport after they were received by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri this morning.
Earlier in the day, Mr Puri tweeted a video of himself carrying one of the copies on his head with reverence, with two others carrying the other copies, and chanting "Satnam Shri Waheguru" as he walked barefoot on the aerobridge at the Delhi airport.
A special Air Force flight flew the evacuees from Afghan capital city Kabul to Tajikistan's Dushanbe on Monday as India, along with several countries, has started evacuation efforts from crisis-hit Afghanistan after Taliban took over the country this month.
Later, an Air India flight with 78 passengers, including 25 Indian citizens, landed in New Delhi from Dushanbe today. The passengers on board the Air India flight chanted "Wahe Guru ki Khalsa, Wahe Guru ki Fateh" for their safe evacuation.
India has stepped up efforts to evacuate its citizens as well as its Afghan partners from Kabul as the new Taliban rulers have said they they want all foreign evacuations from the country completed by the August 31 deadline and they would not agree to an extension.
India had earlier announced that it would "facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan" and said Hindus and Sikhs from the country will be given priority.
Mr Puri said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always lent the Sikh community, home or abroad, a shoulder of support in times of distress.
With the latest evacuation, the number of people brought back to Delhi has gone up to around 730 since August 16 when the first group was airlifted from Kabul.