New Delhi, Mar 17 : National Conference MP Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan on Tuesday raised concerns in Parliament over the safety of Indian nationals stranded in Gulf countries and urged the Centre to take immediate steps to ensure their security and relocation where necessary.
Speaking in the House, Ramzan said several Indians, including businessmen, workers, pilgrims and students from Jammu and Kashmir pursuing education abroad, were facing difficulties and required urgent attention from the government.
During his address, the MP also condemned the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and criticised what he described as a unilateral attack by the United States and Israel on Iran.
Ramzan said the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference and its president Farooq Abdullah had also condemned the attack and termed it a violation of the sovereignty of an independent nation.
He said Abdullah described the development as unjust and expressed solidarity with the people of Iran while extending condolences over the killing of their leader.
The NC leader also recalled India’s historical position on the Palestinian issue, referring to the country’s early support for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its leader Yasser Arafat.
Ramzan said India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974 and later granted it full diplomatic status.
He said India had traditionally followed a policy of moderation, non-alignment and balanced diplomacy rooted in justice and dialogue. However, he expressed concern over what he described as a shift in that approach.
Ramzan alleged that support appeared to have been extended to a country responsible for large-scale civilian casualties in Gaza, claiming that more than 70,000 people had been killed, including children, journalists, health workers, UN peacekeepers and NGO personnel.
Several members across parties associated themselves with the sentiments expressed by Ramzan during the discussion.
Among those who supported the concerns raised were Sonia Gandhi, Digvijaya Singh, Derek O’Brien, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjay Singh and Priyanka Chaturvedi, along with members from parties including the DMK, CPI, NCP, BJD and the UDF.(KNS).
