AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday said around 4,000 Indian pilgrims were stranded in Makkah and Madina after airlines suspended flights to Saudi Arabian cities amid the security situation, urging the Centre to facilitate their return.
Owaisi said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should allow airlines to deploy larger aircraft to bring the pilgrims home. Alternatively, he said, the government should arrange special flights to evacuate them.
He sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other Union Ministers.
"The Indian pilgrims have been abandoned by their travel agents. This needs your urgent intervention; in the meanwhile necessary support must be provided to the stranded pilgrims," he said.
He tagged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu
Ram Mohan Naidu, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in his post.
(With Inputs from PTI)