New Delhi: Hearing a petition seeking directions to the Indian government to rescue Indian students stranded on the Ukrainian border, Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana Thursday asked if the Supreme Court can direct Putin to stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The CJI also said the Indian government was doing its best to bring home its citizens.
“We feel bad for the students, but can we direct Russia’s President Putin to stop the war?” the CJI said.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana says, "We sympathise with the students, we are feeling very bad. But can we direct Russia's President Putin to stop the war?"
Court seeks Attorney General KK Venugopal's assistance.
— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2022
The apex court, however, asked Attorney General K.K. Venugopal to help the stranded students after speaking to the government.
According to reports, the plea claimed that the Indian government was only focussed on evacuating students from eastern Ukraine. “More students are stranded in other parts of Ukraine. They should also be evacuated and the government should be asked to take care of them,” the petitioner said.
“Flights are being operated from Poland and Hungary and not from Romania. The students, which also included many girls, are stuck without any facility,” the petitioner told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli.
The Centre had Wednesday informed that over the 20,000 stranded Indians, since the start of the Russian offensive, 60 per cent have crossed Ukrainian borders. Efforts are being made to rescue the remaining people.
Ramping up the government’s efforts, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 transport aircraft had left for Romania in the early hours of Wednesday.
(With inputs from agencies)
Also read: No Indian student is hostage in Ukraine, foreign ministry rubbishes claims