Evacuated by grace of Modiji: Minister onboard IAF plane says to students long live Modi Ji
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New Delhi: A controversy has erupted following videos of both the junior Defence Minister and the wing chief of the Indian Air Force speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in bringing Indian students back from war-torn Ukraine.
IAF's heavy-lift cargo aeroplane landed near Delhi with students from Ukraine's neighbouring countries aboard. Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt joined the crew.
"Don't worry at all. Your lives have been saved by the grace of Modi ji. Everything will be fine. Bharat Mata ki jai...mananiya Modi ji zindabad," Mr. Bhatt tells the students.
Students raised their fists as they chanted "Bharat Mata ki jai" after that gesture. The students did not respond for a long time when the minister said "mananiya Modi ji zindabad"
There has been much criticism of the video on social media for its misuse of a military platform to convey a political message
"This happening in an IAF aircraft is just not on," Air Vice Marshal (retired) Manmohan Bahadur tweeted.
Social media users noticed that the students' sudden silence when the Union Minister called for "mananiya Modi ji zindabad" sparked a debate.
From Bucharest and Budapest, two C-17 transport planes arrived in Hindon this morning, carrying 210 passengers.
India has operated multiple evacuation flights to neighbouring nations from nearby airports since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
Prior to the war, roughly 18,000 Indian students lived in Ukraine. Many of them returned home in evacuation flights after reaching the country's western borders on their own and crossing into neighbouring countries.