Kuwait fire: IAF aircraft on standby to bring back mortal remains of Indians
New Delhi (PTI): Kuwaiti authorities are conducting DNA tests on the bodies of those killed in the devastating fire incident in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area and an IAF aircraft is on standby to bring back the mortal remains of Indians killed in the incident, officials said on Thursday.
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has left for Kuwait following a direction from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to oversee assistance to Indians injured in the fire and to ensure early repatriation of mortal remains of those killed.
Officials had said that total number of people killed in the Al-Mangaf building is 49 and 42 of them are learnt to be Indians; the remaining ones are Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Nepali nationals.
"In an unfortunate and tragic fire incident earlier today in a Labour housing facility in Mangaf area of Kuwait, around 40 Indians are understood to have died and over 50 injured," the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement late on Wednesday night.
Prime Minister Modi, who described the incident as "saddening", reviewed the situation at a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Principal Secretary to PM PK Mishra among others.
Following the meeting, the prime minister announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM Relief Fund and directed that the government should extend all possible assistance.
The External Affairs Minister spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on phone and urged him for the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those killed.
"Spoke to Kuwaiti FM Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on the fire tragedy in Kuwait. Apprised of the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities in that regard. Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed," Jaishankar had said on 'X'.
"Urged the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives. He emphasized that those injured were getting the requisite medical attention," he had said.
The officials had said most of the Indian victims are from Kerala.
The fire in Al-Mangaf building was reported to authorities in Al-Ahmadi governorate at 4.30 am on Wednesday and most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, Kuwaiti media reported, adding the fire started in a kitchen.
Construction firm NBTC group rented the building for the stay of more than 195 workers, most of them Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and northern states, the Kuwaiti media said.
The NBTC group is partly owned by an Indian, officials said.
Interior Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah ordered an investigation into the fire incident and issued directions to apprehend the owner and janitor of Al-Mangaf building.
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Anti-Dalit mindset: Rahul Gandhi slams BJP after leader 'purifies' Rajasthan temple
Ahmedabad (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the BJP of having an "anti-Dalit mindset" after its leader sprinkled Ganga water at a Ram temple in Rajasthan's Alwar to "purify" it following Congress' Tikaram Jully's participation in the consecration ceremony there.
He also asserted that the country will be run by the Constitution and its ideals, not by 'Manusmriti' "which considers Bahujans as second class citizens".
The Congress on Tuesday had accused the BJP of being "anti-Dalit" and demanded an apology from its top leadership after a party leader sprinkled Ganga water at a Ram temple in Alwar to "purify" it following Jully's participation in the consecration ceremony there.
Referring to the incident, Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, "Another example of BJP's anti-Dalit and Manuvadi thinking! BJP has been continuously insulting Dalits and attacking the Constitution."
"That is why it is important not just to respect the Constitution but also to protect it. Modi Ji, the country will be run by the Constitution and its ideals, not by Manusmriti which considers Bahujans as second class citizens," Gandhi, who is here to attend the AICC aession said.
Congress leaders, including Jully and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, have termed Gyandev Ahuja's act an insult to Dalits, but the BJP leader denied the charge.
Maintaining that there was no caste angle to his act, Ahuja, however, defended his action, saying Congress leaders have "no moral authority" to attend such ceremonies as the party's leadership had questioned the existence of Lord Ram and "boycotted" the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya last year.
The consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in a residential society of Alwar was held on Sunday on the occasion of Ram Navami and Jully was in attendance.
On Monday, Ahuja said the consecration ceremony was a "good programme", but there were some "discrepancies".
"I went there today and sprinkled Ganga water to purify the temple premises," he told reporters in Alwar.
"The Congress' former president Sonia Gandhi had got affidavits submitted in court, calling Lord Ram mythical. Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi boycotted the historic Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. So the party leaders have no moral authority to attend such programmes," he said.
When contacted, Ahuja told PTI that he took the step because of Congress leaders' view and approach towards Lord Ram and not because Jully is a "Dalit".
Jully, on the other hand, claimed that Ahuja's act was indicative of the BJP's mentality towards Dalits. He claimed it was not only an attack on his faith but also an effort to promote the crime of untouchability.
