M.K. Raghavan urges Centre to ensure safety of Indian expatriates amid Gulf tensions

Against the backdrop of the ongoing military conflict between the U.S.–Israel alliance and Iran in West Asia, spreading across the Gulf region, M.K. Raghavan, MP, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging his immediate intervention to ensure the safety of Indian expatriates.

The closure of airspace and disruption of flight services have left lakhs of passengers stranded and in distress. The crisis, which erupted during the holy month of Ramzan, has severely affected the expatriate community, particularly lakhs of Keralites, Mr. Raghavan said.

In his letter, the MP expressed serious concern over the safety of nearly nine million Indian expatriates residing in West Asian countries, of whom around six million are Keralites. He urged the Union government to take urgent measures to ensure their safety and to complete, on a war footing, all necessary preparations to safely evacuate Indians if the conflict intensifies.

The Kozhikode MP further suggested that India use its strong diplomatic ties with the United States, Israel, and West Asian countries to help restore peace in the region by playing a mediatory role.