New Delhi – India came in for praise from the European Parliament for the rescue of Jesuit priest Alexis Kumar from the captivity of Taliban in Afghanistan.

Several international NGOs and human rights groups also hailed the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for the rescue of the priest eight months after he was taken by the Taliban.

In a statement, vice president Ryszard Czarnecki said the EU Parliament commended the “Narendra Modi-led Indian government for successfully securing the releasing of Fr Alexis Prem Kumar, who was the Afghanistan director for Jesuit Refugee Services when he was abducted by Taliban in June 2, 2014. The priest had been accompanying teachers on a visit to a school for refugees in the village of Sohadat, some 500 miles west of Kabul”.

The priest’s release also brought praise for the Modi government from various European and Canadian Christian NGOs and human rights organizations, reported The Times of India.

A Toronto-based organization, International Forum For Rights and Security (IFFRAS) applauded the Indian government for the rescue, saying, “the fact that Alexis Kumar was a member of the minority Christian community also highlights the Indian government’s concern for protection of minorities and diverse cultures that exist in India.”