Harsimrat Badal mediates between families sitting on protest at Jantar Mantar and Union External Affairs Minister

New Delhi, July 22, 2014: Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today met the 24 protesting families who are demanding safe and early return of their wards stranded in Iraq and advised them to call off their indefinite protest.
Badal had gone to Jantar-Mantar to apprise the families from Punjab, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, that their wards were safe in Iraq and that the centre was taking best possible measures for their early return.
Extending an appeal to families to call off their protest as the Union government  was leaving no stone unturned to get back Indians from disturbed Iraq. She said the families should cooperate and coordinate with the Union Government instead of lodging such protests.
Agreeing with Badal the families accompanied her for a meeting with Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to know the current situation. In a meeting which lasted for almost two hours, Swaraj informed the aggrieved families that the Union Government was constantly in touch with Indian officials there in Iraq and they were sending minute to minute reports. She said they have opened various communication channels for safe and secure return of Indians.
The family members of youth stranded in Iraq apprised the Minister that their 41 wards were trapped in Iraq. The Minister assured them that as per the reports obtained from Indian officials all the Indians were safe and secure. She said since the situation was very serious there the Indian government was finding a safe passage to bring all Indians back to their homeland. // punjab news, india news,