RLP's Hanuman Beniwal calls for safe return of Indian students ahead of Putin's visit
Dec 03, 2025
New Delhi [India], December 3 : Ahead of Russian President Putin's visit to India, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) MP Hanuman Beniwal on Wednesday urged the Centre to initiate high-level diplomatic efforts to secure the safe return of 61 Indian students.
He alleged that these students were pushed into the Russia-Ukraine war despite travelling on work and study visas.
Speaking to ANI, Hanuman Beniwal said, "Indian students and youth who went to Russia on work and study visas were thrown into the Ukrainian war... High-level diplomatic discussions should be held to ensure the safe return of these 61 students. It is the moral duty of PM Modi and the BJP to ensure the safe return of these children. I raised this issue in Parliament."
President Putin will visit India from December 4-5 for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at an investment forum in Moscow on Tuesday, Putin said that the objective of numerous joint projects in energy, industry, space, agriculture, and other sectors is to strengthen ties with Beijing and New Delhi.
"We aim to elevate cooperation with the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India to a qualitatively new level by strengthening its technological component. This is the objective of numerous joint projects in energy, industry, space, agriculture, and other sectors," he said.
Earlier, Kremlin Spokesperson Dimitry Peskov said that the sale of additional S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles could be on the agenda during the visit."Highly on the agenda, and this could be discussed. Our military industry is working pretty well. Russian arms 36 per cent in the Indian armed forces, and hopefully will continue," Peskov said. Russia also hopes to discuss the possibility of India acquiring the Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter.
"SU-57 is the best plane in the world. SU57 will be on the agenda," said Peskov.
"As far as our cooperation in the defence industry goes, let's remember the famous Brahmos missiles. It's not only just production, or it's not only acts of buying or selling, but it's also the exchange of high technologies, and it really paves the way for a bright future in this field of cooperation. We're developing quite, quite a variety of very complicated systems. And in this sense, of course, we have capabilities. We are ready to share this with our Indian friends, our experience," he added.
