Will help Afghan Hindus, Sikhs come to India: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 16: Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan will be given priority once commercial flight service begins from Kabul, India said today, a day after Taliban took control of the city.

"We are in constant touch with the representatives of Afghan Sikh and Hindu communities. We will facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan," the MEA spokesperson said.

"There are also a number of Afghans who have been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people-to-people endeavours. We will stand by them," he said.

"Commercial operations from Kabul airport have been suspended today. This has forced a pause in our repatriation efforts. We are awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the process," he said.

"The situation in Afghanistan is being monitored on a constant basis at high levels. The Government will take all steps to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our interests in Afghanistan," Bagchi added.

Capping its month-long rapid advances, the Taliban took positions in Kabul hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday for an unknown destination, paving way for a bloodless takeover of the capital city but triggering fear, chaos and uncertainty among its residents.

On Monday, thousands of desperate people converged at the Kabul International Airport in hopes of getting on an evacuation flight and leaving the country.