Sushma Swaraj on informing Parliament first regarding killings of 39 Indians in Iraq: Followed protocol

Citing protocol the reason behind informing Parliament regarding the killings of 39 Indian citizens in Iraq before their families, External affairs minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday, hours after she confirmed the deaths in the Rajya Sabha.

The Union Minister stated that she was questioned by the kin of the victims as to why they were not informed regarding the deaths before the Parliament.

She further accused the Congress of ‘playing politics over death’, when the Congress-led protests in the Lok Sabha while pointing out that everyone paid tribute to peace in Rajya Sabha.

ALSO READ: 39 Indians missing in Iraq killed: EAM Swaraj

Reiterating that they didn't want to close files and make a sin by handing over anybody's body claiming it to be those of our people, Sushma Swaraj said she is satisfied for having stated to declare them dead only on the day she has concrete evidence.

The deaths of the 39 missing Indians who had been kidnapped in 2014 by ISIS in Iraq was confirmed today by the Union Minister who said that the DNA samples of 38 people had been matched and the 39th had matched 70 percent.

Of the deceased, 27 hailed from Punjab, four from Himachal Pradesh, two from West Bengal and six from Bihar.

ALSO READ: Sushma Swaraj's statement on Indians killed in Iraq disrupted in Lok Sabha