India delivers 53 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka, over 2000 stranded Indians brought back
New Delhi (PTI): Bolstering its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India has delivered 53 tonnes of relief material to it via air and sea since November 28, while more than 2,000 stranded Indians have been brought back from the cyclone-hit island nation, the government said on Monday.
"NDRF teams continue to carry out search and rescue operations in various severely affected and isolated regions of Sri Lanka, assisting flood-hit families and ensuring their immediate safety. Over 150 persons have been rescued and assisted in these combined operations, which are continuing," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
In the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, which has caused severe flooding, loss of life and widespread disruption across Sri Lanka, India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu on November 28 to provide urgent search and rescue and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) support to "our closest maritime neighbour," it said.
New Delhi has delivered aid to Colombo both through sea and aerial routes, using Indian Air Force's transport aircraft and frontline naval platforms.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a post on X on Monday, said, "INS Sukanya enters Trincomalee with relief materials. #OperationSagarBandhu".
The Indian vessel, carrying humanitarian aid, had left from Visakhapatnam earlier, a senior official said on Saturday evening.
In coordination with the Sri Lanka Air Force, Chetak helicopters from India Navy's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and MI-17 helicopters of the IAF conducted extensive rescue operations, airlifting stranded people, including pregnant women, infants, and those critically injured, the MEA said.
"Rescued persons included nationals of Sri Lanka, India, Germany, Slovenia, United Kingdom, South Africa, Poland, Belarus, Iran, Australia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh," the MEA said in a statement.
Soon after the cyclone struck, the Government of India, in coordination with the Sri Lankan authorities, immediately handed 9.5 tons of emergency rations from two Indian Navy ships -- INS Vikrant and frigate INS Udyagiri -- in Colombo.
India also deployed three IAF aircraft for airlifting another 31.5 tons of relief materials, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, ready-to-eat food items, medicines and surgical equipment, two BHISHM cubes along with a five-person medical team for on-site training, and 80-person special Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assist in rescue efforts; and despatched another 12 tons of relief supplies on-board Indian Navy Ship Sukanya, the MEA said in a statement.
"A total of 53 tons of relief material has been handed over," it said.
Evacuation of Indian nationals stranded due to Cyclone Ditwah was also undertaken via special IAF flights as well as commercial flights, with "over 2000 stranded Indians already brought back", the MEA said.
The IAF on Sunday had also intensified its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, and brought back a group of stranded Indians from Colombo in two transport aircraft.
A C-130J aircraft carrying a group of Indians had landed at Hindan in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, while an IL-76 aircraft landed at Trivandrum in Kerala on Sunday, a senior official said.
The MEA said, "Guided by India's Neighbourhood First policy and Vision MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions), India continues to be the first responder, standing firmly in solidarity with the government and people of Sri Lanka in this time of need, and remains committed to supporting the ongoing rescue, relief, and early recovery efforts."
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
