Embassy tells Indian students to stay indoors in violence-hit Bishkek

New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) India on Saturday asked its students in Bishkek to stay indoors after the Kyrgyz capital city reported mob violence targeting international students, especially from South Asia.

The Indian embassy in the Central Asian country said it is in touch with the Indian students and the situation is "calm" now.

The mission asked Indian students in the city to stay indoors.

In a statement, the Kyrgyz foreign ministry said that "destructive forces are deliberately disseminating untrue and false information" about the situation in Bishkek. It said the situation in the city is "calm and under full control", adding all necessary measures have been taken to ensure security.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar advised the Indian students to stay in regular touch with the Indian embassy.

"Monitoring the welfare of Indian students in Bishkek. The situation is reportedly calm now. Strongly advise students to stay in regular touch with the Embassy," he said in a post on 'X'.

The Indian embassy said, "We are in touch with our students. The situation is presently calm but students are advised to stay indoors for the moment and get in touch with the Embassy in case of any issue." Police in riot gear were deployed in part of Kyrgyzstan's capital overnight as large crowds gathered in anger over an alleged fight between local and foreign people, The Times of Central Asia reported.

The incident appeared to reflect tension over the presence of migrants, many from South Asia, in Kyrgyzstan, it said.

The number of Indian students in Kyrgyzstan is estimated to be around 15,000. It is not immediately known how many of them are in Bishkek.

The Kyrgyz foreign ministry said destructive forces are deliberately disseminating untrue and false information about the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic in foreign mass media and social networks, especially in the territory of Pakistan.

It said the situation in the city of Bishkek is calm and under full control. All necessary measures have been taken to ensure security, and maintain peace and stability, it said.

"Therefore, the ministry asks the representatives of mass media, blogger community, as well as foreign colleagues to be guided only by the official and confirmed information of the competent bodies," the Kyrgyz foreign ministry added. PTI