Didn’t mislead on 39 Indians: Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday denied in the Rajya Sabha that she misled Parliament or the country on the fate of the 39 Indians abducted in Iraq three years ago.

The sources who gave the government confidence of not abandoning the search for the 39 missing Indians, most of whom are from Punjab, include a “head of state and a foreign minister of another country,” she said.

She, however, refused to disclose the identity of the sources, citing “diplomatic confidentiality”.

Making a statement in response to Zero Hour mention on the issue by Congress member Pratap Singh Bajwa, Ms Swaraj countered allegations that she misled the country on the matter.

“We are not sitting idle. All countries which can help have been asked for help,” she said.

“Why will I mislead? What will I gain, what will my government gain by misleading?” she asked.

She also refused to tender an apology.  “Why should I apologise? That I did not declare them dead?” she asked.

The Opposition Congress, however, tried to corner her by saying that the government has been changing goal posts all through and she has to give “one proof” for believing that the missing Indians were alive.

“I have said in Parliament and outside that I have no evidence of their being alive or dead,” Ms Swaraj said, adding that in the absence of any proof she cannot presume them dead.

In another development, Ms Swaraj also sought the Iraq government’s help in facilitating the visit of minister of state (MoS) for external affairs Gen. (retd) V.K. Singh to Badush, the site of the now-demolished prison — where it is suspected that the 39 Indians were lodged.

The minister earlier told the House that her deputy had travelled to Iraq a day after the ISIS was defeated in Mosul on July 9.

Senior Iraqi officials told him that in early 2016 the Indians were shifted to the prison at Badush, some 30-km away of Mosul town, she said. “That is the last known location,” she said, adding she had conveyed this to the families of the victims.

Mr Bajwa asked the minister why the government was not taking note of a statement by Harjit Masih, one of the abducted Indians who escaped from Iraq and returned home, that he had witnessed the other 39 being shot dead.

The minister said she spoke to Mr Masih but he did not provide a convincing reply on how he managed to escape from ISIS captivity.

“Also, the family of one of the abducted persons had received a call from the captors, saying that the captive was alive,” the external affairs minister said.