Indian students who were evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu were stranded on the Pathankot highway for over two hours after a bus transporting them to Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar broke down five times, reported India Today.
The bus, sent by the Jammu and Kashmir government, was transporting 14 girls to Srinagar after they arrived at Delhi airport by flight. The girls had already travelled more than 2,000 km by road in Iran to reach home safely.
However, the bus has been facing difficulties due to a mechanical failure. Earlier, students from Jammu and Kashmir who had been evacuated from Iran complained about the poor domestic travel arrangements made by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
In a video on X, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association showed the run-down condition of the bus.
“After enduring a harrowing four-day journey from Iran via Armenia and Doha, Kashmiri students have reached Delhi, only to be dumped in SRTC buses, unlike students from other states who were received with proper airport facilitation, care, and connecting flights home,” the association said.
In response to the student’s earlier complaints, the office of the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir stated on X, “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.”
The group of students had arrived in Delhi on a flight that carried 110 Indian students from Iran, with 90 of them belonging to Jammu and Kashmir as a part of Operation Sindhu. The flight transited via Armenia and Doha and faced delays before landing in Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that a total of 827 Indian nationals had been evacuated from Iran till date.
