Bengaluru, 1 March

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that efforts were underway to bring back Kannadigas stranded in the Middle East as he condemned the US-Israel’s assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Siddaramaiah told reporters in Shivamogga that the State government was in constant touch with officials and the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safety of Indians stuck in Dubai due to flight disruptions.

"The war that is being waged -- in my opinion, the war that America has carried out on Iran -- is unnecessary," Siddaramaiah told reporters.

"On one side, they speak about peace, the Americans, President (Donald) Trump; on the other side, they wage war. This is a contradictory stand. I strongly condemn this," he said.

Speaking about Khamenei, Siddaramaiah said, "We are seeing that Khamenei has been killed. I strongly condemn this. I pray that his soul attains eternal peace."

He said the State government had initiated steps to ensure the safety of Kannadigas stranded in the Middle East due to the closure of airspaces and airports.

“I have spoken to our Chief Secretary, our Principal Secretary, and also to our Assistant Commissioner in Delhi. The airport in Dubai is shut down. As soon as it is opened, efforts will be made to safely bring them back," he said, noting that at least 30 people from Ballari district were stranded.

When reporters pointed out that JD(S) MLC SL Bhojegowda was also stranded in Dubai with his family, Siddaramaiah said, "I spoke to Bhojegowda. He said he is safe and is staying at a hotel.”

Similarly, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged the Centre to ensure that Indians stranded abroad were safe.

“We are urging the central government to ensure the safety of lakhs of people from Kerala and Karnataka and from other places stuck there,” he said.

“Two of our MLAs —Bhojegowda and AC Srinivasa—are there (in Dubai). They are coordinating. I am also trying to get in touch with them,” he added.

‘NOT SEEN SINCE 2ND WORLD WAR’

Separately, Home Minister G Parameshwara noted that “From Chikkaballapura district, around 150 people — all of them schoolchildren and college students — have gone there.”

Parameshwara also condemned the attacks on an Iranian school, which killed at least 85 people, he said.

“We have not seen this kind of situation after the Second World War. Now it is picking up — one country after another. It should not be escalated in the interest of humanity,” Parameshwara said.

‘WE HAVE DONE IT BEFORE’

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that that the situation was turbulent, but the Centre was doing its best.

“We have successfully brought everyone back during the war in the Modi government,” he claimed.

Former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that US-Israel’s conflict with Iran must be resolved through talks and rather than war.

"Given the presence of nuclear capabilities both parties must engage in negotiations to prevent a catastrophic loss of human life," he added.

In a letter to Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Congress MLC Dinesh Gooligowda urged the State government to take urgent action for citizens stranded abroad.

He urged the State government to appoint Nodal Officers to oversee rescue operations, coordinate with the Centre and ensure that the designated team has constant communication with the stranded Kannadigas.

He noted that several MLAs, including Agricultural Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy were on a foreign trip.