Bandaru Dattatreya urges Sushma Swaraj to secure release of abducted Indians

HYDERABAD: Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today requested External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to secure release of two persons from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana who have been kidnapped in Libya allegedly by Islamic State (IS) terror group.

"I am happy and congratulate the Minister for External Affairs in getting release of two Indians, Lakshmikant and Vijay Kumar from Karnataka. At the same time, I express my concern for the release of two other Indians -- Gopikrishna from AP and Balram from Telangana -- who are still in clutches of the militants," Dattatreya said in a letter addressed to Sushma Swaraj.

"I request the Minister to get the two Telugu people released from IS militants," Dattatreya said and added that for the safe release of the two persons, he had spoken to the External Minister.

Gopikrishna, an assistant professor at University of Sirte, is a native of Tekkali in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh while Balram, an English Professor with the same varsity is a native of Karimnagar district in Telangana.