Bengaluru, 17 October

Rajya Sabha MP Mansoor Ali Khan on Saturday wrote separate letters to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kirren Rijuju, urging the Centre to take action to secure the wellbeing of “thousands” of Indian Umrah pilgrims who are stranded in Saudi Arabia.

Khan noted that due to frequent aerial attacks, several airlines have suspended flights to and from Riyadh, while airports in Jeddah, Dammam, and Medina continue to operate with partial disruptions.

“The stranded pilgrims include women, children and the elderly, many of who have medical conditions requiring urgent care,” Khan wrote. “Furthermore, several Private Tour Operators have exhausted their resources and are in deep distress themselves, leading to a total breakdown in communication with the pilgrims.”

He highlighted the possibility than many of the pilgrims may overstay their visas, and said, “While the Embassy of India has set up control rooms in Makkah and Jeddah, relatives report that pilgrims are still facing acute coordination and communication issues on the ground.”

He urged the government to immediately get in touch with the stranded pilgrims and secure accommodation, food, medical aid, and legal assistance for them, facilitate early repatriation on humanitarian grounds and take appropriate regulatory action against erring Umrah tour operators.