'Modi spoke…': Rajnath says Russia-Ukraine war 'stopped for 4.5 hours'
What's the story
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday claimed that following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phone call to Russian and Ukrainian presidents, the war was briefly paused to facilitate the evacuation of stranded Indian students in Ukraine.
Addressing an election rally in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Singh said "The war was stopped for 4.5 hours and 22,500 of our students came to India from Ukraine."
Context
Why does this story matter?
Earlier this year, India initiated "Operation Ganga," a mission designed to evacuate students caught in conflict-stricken Ukraine.
The operation took place from late February to early March and successfully evacuated thousands of students via neighboring countries.
Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s leaders have consistently highlighted this rescue mission in their poll campaigns to rally support, while the Congress-led opposition dismisses it as mere propaganda.
Twitter Post
Watch: Singh's full public address in Kathua
Addressing a public meeting in Kathua, Jammu
— Rajnath Singh (मोदी का परिवार) (@rajnathsingh) April 15, 2024
https://t.co/jfdlecvNsh
Official clarification
MEA spokesperson refutes claims of coordinated ceasefire
Earlier, Arindam Bagchi, then MEA spokesperson, had denied the claims during a regular press briefing.
He clarified that the assertion of India coordinating a ceasefire was "absolutely inaccurate."
Bagchi explained that they had received specific inputs about an available route for evacuation and conveyed this to Indian citizens in Ukraine.
Notably, it has been over 2 years since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began and scores of Indians who were tricked into joining the Russian troops are still stuck on the battlefield.