Realtors, Credit Card Sellers Plagued MEA Helpline For Evacuating Indians In Ukraine With Hoax Calls

The ministry of external affairs control room officials received numerous hoax calls, in the initial days, from several people and businesses while it was trying to rescue Indians stuck in Ukraine.

People familiar with the developments told News18, that the MEA control room set up to help students return from war-torn Ukrainian cities was flooded with calls from realtors, credit card sellers, personal loan agents and even for astrological advice.

People mentioned above told News18 that since some television channels flashed emergency numbers and advertisements of astrologers at the same time people called the MEA control room to enquire about their matrimonial future and also to enquire regarding the future of their careers.

People from housing projects in Noida and Greater Noida also called the helpline number. Some called to offer personal loans and credit cards on the helpline.

There were also some calls which boasted to get the students out of Ukraine because those called claimed to have ‘contacts’ in Ukraine.

The MEA control room received over 13000 calls and over 9000 emails since it opened the helpline on February 16.

Meanwhile, Operation Ganga has helped rescue more than 20,000 Indians stuck in Ukraine. The mission was launched to evacuate students and citizens who were caught in the war in Ukraine after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a ‘military operation’ in Ukraine.

People familiar with the developments said that there are some Indians still left in Ukraine and efforts under Operation Ganga continue to bring them back home. They said that the challenging part of evacuating students and citizens from Sumy has been achieved. Students in eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy were a major cause of concern as Russian shelling and urban warfare between Ukrainian and Russian forces led to rise in hostilities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally called Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky asking them to talk directly while highlighting the plight of Indian as well as foreign citizens stuck in Ukraine.

Students were rescued through the humanitarian corridors accepted between Russia and Ukraine. Prior to their evacuation, students reached out to CNNNews18, News18 and to other news agencies requesting to inform the government of their plight. Three aircrafts brought back more than 600 students from Sumy since early Friday.

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