New Delhi: Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) VK Singh on Friday tried to downplay the controversy created by his tweets, saying `presstitute` word had no link with the term `prostitute` and it was meant for a biased section of media.
Talking exclusively to Zee Media, the minister thanked the channel for painting the right picture and showing `Operation Rahat' he was leading in conflict-hit Yemen in the correct way.
Recalling the controversy which erupted after he attended Pakistan Day function in Delhi last month, Singh said this was not the first time the event was celebrated. “Pakistan Day is celebrated on March 23 every year, every year separatists attend the event, every year a protocol is followed and a MoS attends the function,” Singh said while reacting to criticism that he tried to harm the morale of Army.
Back home from Yemen after overseeing evacuation of Indians from Yemen, Singh said that the country has made a mark in the world with `Operation Rahat'.
Underlining that nation is always supreme, Singh urged Indians who are abroad to follow the advisory issued by the government. He said taxpayers' money is used in such operations. “When you calculate aircraft charges, ship charges, landing fees, parking fees, the cost to evacuate per person during this operation comes out to be approximately Rs 1-1.50 lakh. India is capable to do it but there are nations which are not. We almost take evacuees to their home.”
Taking a dig at the media, Singh said in Yemen, Indians were stranded, all the agencies, such as Indian Air Force, Navy, Ministry of External Affairs, were working in tandem, but no importance was given to such an operation but to a series of tweets. Do we have nothing else to say, asked the former Army chief. He further clarified that he used the term 'presstitute' for the section of media which reports news to fit a particular agenda.
Singh said he would never forget hopes he saw on the faces of those who were eager to be airlifted on the first and the last day of the operation.
Saying that no operation and situation are similar, Singh said that now he is back, he will meet Ministry of External Affairs personnel and formulate a strategy to ensure that no problems occur in such operations in future.
He further talked about the obstacles he and his team faced while evacuating Indians. “We had to coordinate a lot, with Djibouti, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and assemble resources. Right from refuelling on time to get landing place, we faced a lot of hassles. On the last day of the operation, we were not permitted to land. Around 600 people were waiting to be airlifted. We had no fuel to go back and then come again. And we had to take certain decisions. As soon as we got time, we airlifted our people.”
When asked if he was scared of anything during this operation, the former Army chief said he has faced such situations in the past but he was worried about those who were stranded in the conflict-ridden country.
India has successfully concluded its evacuation efforts in Yemen by airlifting 5,600 people, including 4,640 Indians and 960 nationals from 41 countries.
Singh said foreign nationals, who were evacuated by India, were thankful to the nation.
Commenting on the controversy triggered after he reportedly commented that the evacuation operation in Yemen was looking less exciting than going to the Pakistan high commission for Pakistan Day celebrations, Singh said he was misunderstood.
He also said that there are people, lobbies which target him to suit their personal agendum. He also vowed to expose such people in the near future.
The minister said he is not bothered about what Opposition says. I have completed the task that had been given to me by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, said Singh, adding that there are still some Indians in Yemen who didn't want to leave the country. But his team has evacuated all those who wanted to leave.
