Modi, Cong take credit for helping Angola stranded

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday claimed that it was due to their efforts that the Central government stepped in to help out the stranded youths from Gujarat in Angola.

Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhvadia on Friday said that after senior state party leaders had made a representation to Foreign Minister S M Krishna, the Indian

embassy in Angola had swung into action and saved Gujarati youths and other Indians stranded in that country.

"The foreign ministry has also assured us that those workers who wish to come back from Angola to India will be issued emergency certificate by the Indian embassy in that country to come back to India," Modhvadia further said.

However, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi also claimed that his prompt presentation before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for safety of the stranded Indian workers including 40 from Gujarat in Angola has paid off.

"The Indian ambassador to Angola Debraj Pradhan has informed the Gujarat government's resident commissioner in Delhi that all the 40 youths are safe. Pradhan has said that Indian embassy has made all the arrangements for those Gujarati youths who want to return back to India," Modi said in a press statement.

The Indian workers who were working at Sumbe cement factory in Angola had opposed the factory management when they were not given salaries on time.

The factory management called the local police which then arrested 59 Indian workers. The police had also opened fire.

As soon as the Chief Minister Narendra Modi got the news of the plight of these Indian workers, he wrote a letter to the prime minister and urged him to take urgent steps for the safety of the workers, the statement said.