PM Narendra Modi chairs 2nd CCS meet in 24 hours

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday, the second such meeting in 24 hours, to review the evacuation process of Indians stranded in Afghanistan and the steps being taken to ensure the safety of Hindus and Sikhs stranded there.

The PM instructed officials to ensure the safe evacuation of all Indian nationals from Afghanistan and to provide refuge to Sikh and Hindu minorities wanting to come to India from the trouble-torn country, said people aware of the matter. He also instructed officials to provide all possible help to the Afghan citizens seeking assistance from India, he said.

On Tuesday evening, the PM had chaired a CCS meeting to discuss the issue. All personnel posted at the Indian embassy in Kabul and their family members were safely evacuated earlier. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended the meeting, as did national security advisor Ajit Doval, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, principal secretary to the PM PK Mishra, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan Rudrendra Tandon.