New Delhi: As the government grappled with the hostage crisis, Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to ensure the safety of the abducted men.
She urged Mr Modi to “intensify all diplomatic efforts required to ensure their safety and secure the release of those abducted in Iraq”.
For the Modi government, the safe release of the 40 workers will be a major test of its abilities in handling the first big crisis it has to deal with after taking charge less than a month ago.
Until Thursday, no ransom call had been received. No one had claimed responsibility for the workers’ abduction though it is believed that the Sunni jihadi group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, is behind it.
The government has also learnt that Indian workers are being held captive along with workers of some other countries. Following the initial confirmation of the abduction by the Iraqi Red Crescent, reconfirmation has also come now from the Iraqi government.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “Every avenue will be pursued, every channel will be examined, we will utilise every opportunity to ensure the safety of our nationals.”
