Bengaluru, Mar 2 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Wednesday that he has requested the Indian Embassy in war-torn Ukraine to recover the body of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar, who died in the shelling by the Russian Army in Kharkiv province of Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "We have got photos of the body of Naveen. The dress is similar and Naveen's friends have sent them from Ukraine. They have taken the photos after the shelling was stopped. I will speak to the Union Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar and also to the Indian embassy in Ukraine regarding serious attempts to recovery of Nveen's body.
"I have requested the Indian embassy to first recover the body and then they can transport it later. I have sent the photos to the Ministry of External Affairs, the confirmation is yet to be made by them.
The evacuation operation has been intensified by the Indian government. As many 26 aircrafts will be pressed into service in the coming two-three days to bring back Indian students. "I will try to push as many students from Karnataka as possible," CM Bommai said.
The students have been asked to come to safe zones from war zones from different locations. Since it is a war zone, clarity on anything is difficult. The Indian government has spoken to the Ukrainian government towards moving Indian students to safer zones, he said.
CM Bommai further stated that a plan has been made for evacuation. The directions are being given to the Indian students for group movement. The instructions are given in this regard. Slowly, the students will be taken out from the war zone, he revealed.
He said that the first priority of the government is to bring back the body of deceased Naveen. "Then we will definitely compensate the family. The family members are demanding that their son's body must be brought back. We are trying hard," he said.
He came down heavily on the opposition Congress and said that during the time of the UPA government there were many war situations, but not a single person was brought back to India. "Our country has taken up a massive evacuation operation that no other country has taken up. 26 flights carrying Indian students are arriving in 72 hours. Evacuation exercise is continuously happening," he stated.
Earlier, Harsha, the brother of deceased Naveen, stated on Wednesday that no one was confirming to the family when the body of his brother will be brought to India. "His body should be brought back to us. His friends are coming back alive and we are coping with the news of death," he said. Shekarappa, Naveen's father said that he had lost his son and he wanted the government to bring back other boys alive to India. "Thousands of students are stuck in Ukraine, they are assets of our country. They should be brought back safely," he said.