Relatives of two Indian teachers, who were kidnapped by the dreaded Islamic State in Libya, on Monday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought the government’s help for securing the abductees’ release at the earliest.
Four relatives, including the wives of the two Hyderabad-based professors -- Gopikrishna and Ch Balram -- who are held captive by Islamic State terror group since July 29, also met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.
“We gave a memorandum to the PM. He said that the process was on and he will look into the matter. He also said that he will talk to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The PM asked us to be confident and not to lose hope,” Sreedevi, wife of Ch Balram, said after meeting Modi.
Stressing that her whole family was worried, Sreedevi said she would be thankful to the government if her husband is released at the earliest.
“We are very worried. We cannot express our worry in words because it is a question of our life.... It is a mental agony for the whole family. We would be thankful to the government if they are released at the earliest,” she added.
Sreedevi said that she last spoke to her husband on July 29, who had told her that he along with three others would be starting from Libya and reaching Hyderabad.
However, they were abducted at a checkpoint approximately 50 kilometre from Sirte on July 29 while returning to India via Tripoli and Tunis, an area under the control of IS.
Of them, two hailing from Karnataka were released later, though the two Hyderabad professors continue to be hostages.
Kalyani, wife of Gopikrishna, who is one among the kidnapped professors, said that she spoke to her husband last at 5.30 pm on July 29. He told me that tickets were available for July 31 and they would be reaching Hyderabad on August 1, she added.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Union Urban Development Minister said that Naidu told the relatives that all necessary steps are being taken by the government for the safe release of hostages.
Image: The relatives of the teachers meet Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu. The two teachers have been held captive since July 29. Photograph: @MVenkaiahNaidu/Twitter
