‘India must send 20,000 troops to protect Kabul, give refuge to Hindus, Sikhs’

As the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorates with the continuing Taliban offensive, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy has called on the Narendra Modi government to protect religious minorities in the war-torn nation.

Swamy tweeted on Wednesday morning "We must help the Afghan Government and send 20,000 troops to protect Kabul and also give refuge to Hindus and Sikhs there." Swamy's tweet was in response to a media report that claimed the Afghan government had sought that the Indian Air Force provide the country 'robust support' in the face of the Taliban onslaught.

Subramanian Swamy had been critical of the Narendra Modi government's handling of the conflict in Afghanistan. Earlier in August, he had asked the Modi government to "get moving" on an appeal from Afghanistan to India to facilitate an urgent discussion at the UN Security Council following blasts in Kabul.

India is holding the chairperson position at the UN Security Council for August. Swamy described the appeal from Afghanistan as India's "last chance to become relevant" in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, responding to a tweet on the Taliban expanding control in the north of Afghanistan, Swamy took a pot-shot at Modi's image of being a leader with a '56 inch' chest. Swamy tweeted, "56" inch chest is only for us Indians?"

The demand by Swamy for India to deploy troops to Kabul came a day after the ministry of external affairs issued an advisory to Indian nationals in Afghanistan.

The advisory on Tuesday called on all Indian nationals "visiting, staying and working" in Afghanistan to make immediate travel arrangements to return to India before commercial air services were discontinued.

The advisory called on all Indian companies in Afghanistan to immediately withdraw Indian employees from project sites.

On Tuesday, the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif informed nationals in the city to evacuate by an emergency flight as fighting raged near the city.