39 Indians killed in Iraq: 'Will we play politics even with people's death?' asks Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday slammed the Congress members for playing "politics over the death of 39 Indians."

"Today Congress indulged in a very low level of politics, probably Congress president thought how did no uproar happened in Rajya Sabha and decided to ask Scindia ji to lead protests in Lok Sabha," she said.

"Will we play politics even on people's death?" Swaraj asked. She said that she had spoken to the agitating members and taken their assurance that they will not create noise, even though they refused to vacate the Well. "But today, Congress was leading the protests and Jyotiraditya Scindia was leading the Congress members," she added.

"I personally talked to the foreign ministers of the respective countries, I went to them and asked them if they have any evidence they provide us the same. 'Khoye huye ho to maare huye samjhe jaaoge' ye sarkar aisi nahi hai," she further said.

Sushma Swaraj said that "the government did all it could to find the missing Indians. "We reached out to every diplomatic channel that could have helped us in getting any clue to the location or the state of the missing Indians," Swaraj said.

"Some kin of the victims have questioned as to why they were not told about the deaths before the parliament. It is parliamentary procedure to first inform the house, so it was my duty," she added.

"It would have been a sin had we handed over anybody's body claiming it to be those of our people, just for the sake of closing files," she further said.

"DNA samples of 38 people have been matched, verification of 1 victim is under process," the external affairs minister said.

"I am satisfied that I had stated that will declare them dead only on the day I have concrete evidence, I kept my word. I will get my closure when I would hand over the mortal remains to their families & they receive proper last rites," Swaraj said.

"Out of the deceased, 27 people were from Punjab, 6 from Bihar, 4 from Himachal Pradesh and 2 from West Bengal. The identity of one of them is yet to be verified," Swaraj added.

OneIndia News