BJP's Politics on Students in Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

Byline: Asad Ali

A three-way propaganda war broke out over the rescue of stranded Indian students from Ukraine. With thousands stranded and one killed, Indian students in Ukraine are the focus of a propaganda tug of war. Both Russia and Ukraine issued statements promising to protect Indian students and blamed the other side for endangering them. Although Russia made statements alleging Ukraine for holding Indian students hostage. Russia also accused Ukraine of using these students as human shields preventing them from leaving for Russian territory. Russia alleged that 3,000 Indian students were kept hostage by Ukrainian forces. On one side, both Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of using Indian students as a human shield in the ongoing conflict. Meanwhile, Indian pupils are angry about BJP's rescue efforts and overall approach to the conflict. Russia claimed that its military is doing everything possible to protect strained Indian nationals.

The Russian defense ministry also stressed that it offered to return the students to India from Russian territory in its military planes. At the same time, the evacuation of students is also being used as an opportunity by BJP to pat the Modi-led BJP government on the back. Operation Ganga, the Indian government's mission to rescue students, has even made its way to the UP-election campaign, with Modi raising it during multiple public speeches in the state. PM Modi even met with a group of students as part of a televised interaction. Four Union Ministers went to countries bordering Ukraine to oversee the evacuation drive. Videos of them taking part in rescue efforts and students being received in India by ministers are being pushed on social media by BJP. Modi's nationalist clad is vehemently using the issue of strained Indian nationals as a political tool. This public relations blitz around rescuing students is not limited to BJP. Tamil Nadu government announced it would send its rescue team to countries bordering Ukraine.

However, many students and some opposition members have contested the government's claim that it has been able to provide adequate help to get students back. Opposition members have shared videos of distressed students in Ukraine who complain that the Indian government has not helped them. Several students have questioned the public-relations drive by the Modi government, especially its claims to have rescued them. "Indian government is publicizing bringing back 1,000 Indian...