Capt concerned over safety of Indians in Iraq
Wednesday, 26/11/2014
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AMRITSAR: Expressing concern over the safety of 40 Indians being held captive by the militants of Islamic State, Local MP Capt Amarinder Singh has asked the central government to issue a status report on these people as their relatives were being “kept in absolute dark” so far.
He also criticised Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for failing in his promise to pay a monthly compensation of ` 20,000 each to the hostages’ families. He said that the compensation was paid for one month only after which the government backed out.
In a statement, Capt Amarinder drew the attention of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj towards the plight of the families of the captives. “Their relatives have told me that the government officials, both in Punjab and at the Centre, have stopped taking their calls even”, he claimed, while referring to the callous indifference being shown towards these helpless people by some officials.
Amarinder said, “It is five months since these people have been kidnapped and nothing is known about them. They were kidnapped on June 11 last while they were working for a construction company in Mosul, Iraq, when it fell to ISIS”.
Sharing the concern and anxiety of the relatives of the hostages, most of whom are from Punjab, he said, he will raise the matter in the ongoing parliament session also.
Amarinder said that while he understood the gravity of the situation in Iraq, at the same time the central government did not appear to be doing enough to save these people.
