Evacuated J&K Students From Iran Face Poor Transport Arrangements; CM Omar Abdullah Responds
Indian students evacuated from conflict-hit Iran have expressed deep disappointment over the transport arrangements made by the Jammu and Kashmir government for their onward journey from Delhi. While they lauded the central government for a smooth evacuation, many were disheartened by the "shabby" condition of the buses arranged to take them home.
A flight carrying 110 students—90 of them from Jammu and Kashmir arrived in New Delhi late last night after transiting through Armenia and Doha. The evacuation comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, with the Indian government stepping up efforts to ensure the safety of its citizens abroad.
However, the relief of returning home was short-lived for many. Visuals of poorly maintained buses arranged by the J&K administration began circulating online, prompting widespread criticism.
One student said, "...The buses that have been provided are in such bad condition that even animals will not travel in them. We can't go in such buses, and our safety could have been compromised. We are here (in Delhi) and for that we are thankful to the central government as they have evacuated us smoothly, we faced no problem till here, but we are having a problem here now...," as reported by news agency ANI.
Another student said, "...We are tired after such a long journey. The central government and the Indian embassy did such a good job that we didn't feel any problem - it wasn't like we were being evacuated, as everything was so smooth. We hadn't felt we would have any issue as we were to go home, and the state government would take care of it further. But, the buses being provided are in such a bad condition. 2 hours back, CM Omar Abdullah tweeted about this, but nothing has happened yet..."
Amid the backlash, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah addressed the issue on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He assured students and the public that the matter had been taken seriously and that he had instructed officials to act swiftly.
"The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged," Omar wrote in his post.
The students were safely evacuated through coordinated efforts by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy, and local authorities.
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