Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP praised PM Modi’s effort in evacuating but criticized ‘PR exercise’

Shashi Tharoor, senior Congress MP, praised the Narendra Modi government’s efforts in evacuating stranded Indians from Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing attack on Kiev and its international stance on the matter, but chastised the central leadership for “indulging in PR exercise” over the crisis. “Initially, I was dissatisfied with the government’s speeches on the international arena,” Tharoor stated.

“In Ukraine, there were almost 20,000 Indian citizens.” Other Western countries started the process of evacuating their citizens first, but we waited until the very last minute. The government also stated during the meeting of the advisory committee that it has issued an advise to the pupils. Around 4,000 Indian citizens fled Ukraine on their own dime; the others were left to fend for themselves, and the government cannot be responsible.”

The Congress leader, on the other hand, praised the government for returning Indian students to their homeland.

“I don’t want to say much about this, but this government has a problem… it likes to indulge in ‘PR exercise,” Tharoor remarked of the government sending ministers to the Ukrainian border to watch the evacuation process. “We are all doing this for you,” a minister declared in Romania, and the mayor of the town responded, “why are you coming here and giving a speech?” This does not appear to be in the government’s best interests.”