Will not declare missing Indians dead sans proof, says Sushma

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that the government was in touch with the head of a state and a foreign minister of another country who have given the government confidence of not abandoning the search for 39 Indians abducted in Mosul, Iraq .

Swaraj, however, said she cannot disclose the identity of the “sources” that the government is in touch with because of “diplomatic confidentiality.”

The minister was responding to Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa’s charge that she misled Parliament on the fate of the people abducted three years ago. Urging the Congress to not make a “political agenda” out of the issue, Swaraj reiterated the government will not presume the 39 Indians dead in absence of any solid evidence.

“It will be a sin at personal level and irresponsible act on the part of the government to declare them dead,” she said.

Swaraj said she has all through maintained that there is no proof of the abducted Indians being alive or dead. “Why should I apologise? That I did not declare them dead?”

She was responding to opposition charges that the government has been changing goal posts all through.

“All we are saying is that the minister give a proof for believing they are alive,” Congress leader Ambika Soni said. To this Swaraj replied, “All countries which can help have been asked for help. Why will I mislead? What will I gain?”

VK SINGH TO VISIT IRAQ TO TRACE INDIANS

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has sought the Iraq government’s help in tracing the 39 Indians, abducted in June 2014 in Mosul, as also help in facilitating the visit of her deputy VK Singh to Badush.