Grateful to India for offering help in Thai cave rescue : Thai Embassy
New Delhi, Jul 10 : Charge d'Affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy in India Apirat Sugondhabhirom on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to India for offering its assistance in the ongoing rescue operations of the members of a Wild Boars soccer team stranded in a flooded cave in northern Thailand.
Speaking exclusively to ANI, Apirat said, "I would like to thank India for offering its help. The Royal Thai Embassy has been receiving many messages from our Indian friends caring for our children trapped in the cave. The gesture that India has shown to us will not be forgotten."
The Indian embassy in Bangkok informed the Thai authorities that the Kirloskar Brothers, an Indian company with expertise in pumping and flood management, can help drain out excess water from the cave, said Apirat in the interview.
"The (Thai) Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked for the generous offer and have conveyed this to the interior ministry. We will not forget this help," Apirat noted.
He clarified that there were no Indian companies or professionals engaged in the rescue operations as of now. He however added that the Thai government was seriously considering to employ the Kirloskar Brothers.
Explaining the difficulties and challenges of the operations, Apirat underscored that weather, water and the physical condition of the stranded boys and the coach were the key factors kept in mind during the entire exercise.
"Within the (Tham Luang) cave complex, the passages inside are totally submerged in water due to rains. The monsoon is coming soon. We are racing against time. It's been raining on and off for the last two weeks. The weather has cleared a bit now. The rescue operations led by the Chiang Rai Governor has been doing a good job," he said.
Explaining how the team ended up being trapped inside the Tham Luang cave, Apirat said that the boys were planning a surprise birthday party and had ventured inside the cave. He, however, clarified that it was not the first time a soccer team group had visited the risky cave.
As heavy rains pounded, the boys were forced to go further deeper to escape the rising water levels and were ultimately trapped.
"On July 2, the British divers found them. We came to know about this. The boys were looking hungry and very weak. Luckily, they were carrying provisions. The original plan of the group was not to go down deep inside the cave. But, unfortunately, on and off rains played spoilsport," Apirat recalled.
He informed that eight boys have been rescued in the last two days. They are recovering at the Chiang Rai Hospital. The third series of rescue operations were underway to retrieve the remaining five members of the soccer team.
Apirat continued, "Many of our international friends are actively cooperating with us in the rescue operations. Divers from Laos, Myanmar, Belgium, China, Israel and also Thailand having expertise in diving and pumping out excess water from the cave are all contributing in the operation. We are grateful to that."
He lamented that during the operations, a "heroic and brave" diver had died, who was previously from the Royal Thai Navy.
Apirat further said that a team of doctors and divers were taking turns to stay with the stranded group.
Asked whether the Thai government required an immediate help, he said that everything was under control and the teams were doing their jobs without any problems.
Praising the coach of the Wild Boars football team, Apirat said, "Previously, he was a Buddhist monk. He has used the knowledge of meditation. With this, he kept a cool head and managed to calm the boys down. He even told them to meditate, saying that help would always come. When the British divers found them, the children were not panicking. They were calm with no signs of fear."
Calling it a "very difficult operation", Apirat prayed for the safety of the remaining five persons and the divers and hoped that a good news would come at the end of the day.
courtesy : aninews.in
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
