We did not keep anyone in the dark, didn't give false hopes: Sushma

March 20, 2018 16:09

After making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, announcing the death of the 39 missing Indians in Iraq, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a press conference during which she slammed the Congress for disrupting the proceedings in Lok Sabha and not letting her announce to the world about the sad demise of the 39 Indians.

Here are the highlights from the press conference:

>> In Rajya Sabha everyone listened to me speaking very patiently and in peace. Everyone paid tribute, I thought same would happen in Lok Sabha. But unlike the past few days of ruckus, today Congress led the protests under Jyotiraditya Scindia ji. Very unfortunate

>> Today Congress indulged in very low level of politics, probably Congress president thought how did no uproar happened in Rajya Sabha and decided to ask Scindia ji to lead protests in Lok Sabha. Playing politics on deaths

>> I personally talked to the foreign ministers of the respective countries. I went to them and asked them if they have any evidence they provide us the same. 'Khoye huye ho to maare huye samjhe jaaoge' ye sarkar aisi nahi hai

>> Some kin of the victims have questioned as to why they were not told about the deaths before the parliament. It is parliamentary procedure to first inform the house, so it was my duty

>> We had been saying that we neither have the evidence of them being alive nor the evidence of them being dead. We maintained this in 2014 and 2017. We did not keep anyone in dark. We gave no false hopes to anyone

>> I am satisfied that I had stated that will declare them dead only on the day I have concrete evidence, I kept my word. I will get my closure when I would hand over the mortal remains to their families & they receive proper last rite

>> Harjit Masih is just an individual, he could claim 39 others are dead, but we are the government, we can't say this so easily. We have to be responsible

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