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India.com
3 days ago
- Politics
- India.com
J-K CM Omar Abdullah Details Iran Evacuation Efforts, Urges Israel-Iran Dialogue
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah provided an update on the evacuation of Indian students, mostly from J-K, stranded in Iran due to the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, emphasizing the use of land routes to Armenia for their safe return. He said over 300 to 400 students are expected to reach safer zones by today, from where they will be repatriated to India via Armenia. He stated, "We cannot evacuate them overnight because no airports are open, no ports are operational. We are first bringing them by road to cities where there is no bombing, and from there, efforts are being made to bring them back to India via Armenia. Today, we expect around 300 to 400 more students to arrive, most of whom are from Jammu and Kashmir. We will bring them back home safely, and there is a sense of hope all around." Amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, Abdullah called for de-escalation through dialogue. "The India-Pakistan issue is a separate matter, and the Israel-Iran issue is different. In any case, this bombing should never have started. Earlier, when the head of U.S. intelligence was asked whether Iran had nuclear weapons, he said he didn't think they would be able to make one anytime soon. But within a few months, Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks must stop, and the issues should be resolved through dialogue," he said. Abdullah also voiced concerns over the dynamics of India-U.S. relations, suggesting that the United States prioritises its interests over bilateral ties with India. He said, "We can't dictate to the US President whom he should invite for dinner. We used to think the US President was our close friend, and he would respect that, but the US does what benefits it..." Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Thursday welcomed the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's office informed that he had taken note of the students evacuated from Iran's request regarding the quality of the buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J-K. "The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J-K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged," the chief minister's office said in a post on X. Students who have been evacuated under Operation Sindhu from conflict-affected Iran raised issues about the buses that the J-K government is providing for them to travel to their home state. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Evacuation of Indian students from conflict-hit Iran,
Samba (Jammu and Kashmir), June 19 (ANI): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that evacuating Indian nationals, including hundreds of students from Jammu and Kashmir, from conflict-affected regions of Iran is a collective responsibility, and he has spoken to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the same. Speaking to reporters in Samba, Abdullah revealed that he had initiated discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar days ago to devise a strategy. 'It is our responsibility. Our children had gone there to get education. Now the situation has worsened and their parents would definitely be worried. If I were in their place, I would also be worried and the children would also want to be evacuated from there. So, a few days ago, I spoke to Minister Jaishankar and we prepared a plan,' he said. 'Under that plan, now these children are being brought back. Today around 400 students are being evacuated. According to our information, there are about 1300 children from Jammu and Kashmir in Iran, in total, there are about 6000-8000 from our country,' he added. Earlier in the day, Omar Abdullah's office informed that he had taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J-K. 'The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,' the chief minister's office said in a post on X. Students who have been evacuated under Operation Sindhu from conflict-affected Iran raised issues about the buses that the J&K government is providing for them to travel to their home state. 'The buses that have been provided are in such bad condition that even animals will not travel in them. We can't go in such buses, and our safety could have been compromised. We are here (in Delhi) and for that we are thankful to the central government as they have evacuated us smoothly, we faced no problem till here, but we are having a problem here now,' a student told ANI. The Indian government has launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran, given the deteriorating situation as a result of the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. An Indian student, Sheikh Afsa, on board the flight carrying 110 nationals under Operation Sindhu, praised the government's efforts to ensure a safe evacuation upon returning to Delhi, saying that the government evacuated them 'from their dormitory'. 'We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. We even received calls from people in Iran, who said the situation in Iran is very critical. The (Indian) government evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn't even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us,' she told ANI. (ANI)
United News of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Evacuated from Iran, Kashmir students to be ferried from Delhi in deluxe buses
Srinagar, June 19 (UNI) As the first batch of stranded students landed in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that students evacuated from Iran will be ferried from Delhi to the Union Territory in deluxe buses of Jammu & Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC). A flight carrying 100 Indian students — including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir — from Iran landed in Delhi on Wednesday night. The students, all enrolled at Urmia Medical University, were evacuated through Armenia and Doha. The flight arrived nearly three hours behind schedule. The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association said that Kashmiri students who reached Delhi have not been provided airport transportation, unlike students from other states. 'They are being asked to travel in SRTC Buses. They are exhausted after travelling continuously for the past four days. This is deeply disappointing,' JKSA said. Taking immediate note of the issue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged. 'The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,' said the CM office on X. At least 4,000 Indian students, half of them from J&K, are enrolled in medical and other professional courses in Iran. UNI MJR PRS
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Faced So Much": J&K Students Evacuated From Iran On Journey Back To India
Over 100 Indian nationals, including 90 students from Jammu and Kashmir, returned to India early Thursday morning from Iran, following a successful evacuation under Operation Sindhu. The students, who had been stuck amid the escalating tensions in Iran, were first flown to Armenia, then to Doha, before landing in Delhi. Their safe return was a moment of relief for their families across the country. However, what was expected to be the final leg of their journey turned into an unexpected ordeal. After arriving in Delhi, many of the students voiced their displeasure over the condition of the buses arranged to transport them home to Jammu and Kashmir. The students described the buses as being in poor condition, unfit for travel, and unworthy of the long journey they had just endured. "We've faced so much during the evacuation, but the buses provided for the last part of our journey were in such bad condition that even animals wouldn't travel in them," one student was quoted as saying. "We were thankful for the evacuation, but this final stretch was not what we expected after everything." The students, who had been waiting at the Delhi airport for hours, were finally offered a Volvo bus around 1 PM, after waiting for over 8 hours. Despite the delays, the students expressed gratitude for the safe evacuation but felt disappointed with the last-minute arrangements. In response to their complaints, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to social media, acknowledging the concerns raised by the students. A post shared by the Chief Minister's Office assured that proper deluxe buses would now be arranged to transport the students home. "The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J\&K. The Resident Commissioner has been instructed to coordinate with Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) to ensure that suitable deluxe buses are arranged," the statement read. The students, many of whom had been in Iran for their studies, praised the central government's efforts in ensuring their safe evacuation amidst the ongoing conflict. However, they hope the final leg of their journey home will reflect the care and attention that they received during their evacuation.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
J&K students evacuated from Iran hail Centre's Operation Sindhu, slam state govt for ‘unsafe' buses
Indian students from Jammu and Kashmir, recently brought back from conflict-hit Iran under Operation Sindhu, expressed deep gratitude towards the Centre for the smooth evacuation process. However, they criticised the Jammu and Kashmir administration for providing poorly maintained buses for their onward journey from Delhi to their hometowns. Many of them called the conditions 'unsafe and disappointing'. The Centre had launched Operation Sindhu to bring back Indian nationals amid the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. One of the evacuees, Sheikh Afsa, who returned to Delhi with 110 other passengers, told ANI, 'We are happy to return here, but we are also worried about our studies. The situation there (Iran) is bad, and people are scared. We even received calls from people in Iran, who said the situation in Iran is very critical.' Afsa added, 'The (Indian) government evacuated us from our dormitory, from our doors; we didn't even expect this much. They helped us at every step; no one faced any problem, and we are grateful to the central government for the role they played in evacuating us.' ANI quoted another student as saying, 'We are tired after such a long journey. The central government and the Indian embassy did such a good job that we didn't feel any problem – it wasn't like we were being evacuated, as everything was so smooth.' Despite the smooth airlift from Iran to Delhi, the students expressed frustration with the Jammu and Kashmir government for arranging poor-quality buses for their travel home. 'We hadn't felt we would have any issue as we were to go home, and the state government would take care of it further. But, the buses being provided are in such a bad condition. Two hours back, CM Omar Abdullah tweeted about this, but nothing has happened yet,' one student noted. In a more scathing criticism, another student said, 'The buses that have been provided are in such bad condition that even animals will not travel in them. We can't go in such buses, and our safety could have been compromised. We are here (in Delhi) and for that we are thankful to the central government as they have evacuated us smoothly, we faced no problem till here, but we are having a problem here now.' Responding to the students' complaints, the office of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stated on X that he had taken note of their concerns. 'The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,' a tweet from the Chief Minister's Office read. The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged. — Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) June 19, 2025
