BJP leader urges MEA for repatriation of 54 Indians stranded in Italy amid global flight disruptions

Chennai, June 26 (IANS) Senior BJP leader and former MLC Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, seeking the immediate repatriation of 54 Indian citizens who have been left stranded in Milan, Italy, following multiple flight cancellations linked to the escalating geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran.

In his letter, Reddy, who currently serves as the BJP National Co-Incharge for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, highlighted that the stranded individuals include 21 persons from Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu and 33 others from various parts of the country.

Most of the group comprises professors and their family members who had embarked on a European tour earlier this month.

According to the letter, the group departed for France on June 13, 2025, via an Air India flight and was scheduled to return to India from Milan on June 23.

However, their return flight was cancelled and later rescheduled for June 24, only to be cancelled again, reportedly due to the ongoing international aviation disruptions stemming from the Israel-Iran conflict.

“At present, they are unable to find any available flights back to India and are in urgent need of assistance,” Reddy wrote.

The BJP leader noted that the distress call was initially raised by the Virudhunagar unit of the party in Tamil Nadu, which had received messages from some of the stranded citizens.

An official list of the individuals currently stranded in Milan has also been attached to the representation. Appealing for swift intervention, Reddy urged the Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Rome and other relevant authorities to ensure the safe and immediate return of the group.

“The situation is deeply distressing for the families back home. I request your esteemed office to take urgent steps to facilitate their repatriation at the earliest,” the letter concluded.

The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued an official response, but sources indicate that Indian missions in Europe have been placed on alert amid rising disruptions in international flight services due to the unfolding Middle East crisis.

--IANS

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