Bengaluru, May 2: Karnataka Congress MLA Raju Kage's remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successor have drawn sharp criticism from the opposition BJP in the state.

Addressing a campaign meeting in Mamadapur village in Belagavi district, Kage said, "I too have the confidence about running the country ably. If Modi dies, will no one become the prime minister of the country? Is there no other person to become prime minister among the 140 crore population? Youngsters these days say only Modi, Modi..."

Everyone wants Congress leaders like -- Laxman Savadi, Raju Kage, Satish Jarkiholi (all Congress MLAs) locally -- but want Modi at the Centre, the Kagwad MLA said on Tuesday. "There is no question of Modi. Will Modi come here to listen to your issues or us?"

Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra sharply reacting to Kage's remarks, asked, "Why does Congress desire Narendra Modi ji's death?"

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In a post on 'X' on Thursday, he said, "Congress MLA Raju Kage has only outspoken the destructive mindset of Rahul Gandhi and Congress, who have a history of grabbing power based on the deaths of many innocent lives, like vultures ready to pounce on the deaths of precious lives."

Vijayendra questioned Congress whether it desires Modi's death because he abrogated Article 370 and "saved" Kashmir, because he fulfilled the dream of hundreds of years by building Ram Mandir in the birthplace of Shri Ram, because he eradicated the terrorism and saved the nation from terrorists, because he built a strong nation economically, ranking India 5th globally, among others.

"The BJP, not based on individuals but on principles and ideologies, has grown into a massive political tree, based on the nationalistic ideals and nurtured by the hard work of our Patriotic Karyakarthas....Modi has strengthened the nation and established himself as a great leader and a competent administrator.

"People of this country have resolved to make him the PM again and want his continued leadership for Bharath," he said.

What else can be expected from Congress, who is unable to tolerate this and out of sheer desperation, is resorting to foreboding of ill and wishing bad for the PM, the BJP chief further said, adding, vicious minds can only speak vile and Congress MLA Raju Khage with this mindset has only spoken Congress ideology ill-boding about the PM.

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New Delhi: In a concerning development, several Indians who were illegally enlisted in the Russian Army and forcibly sent to the war zone on the Russia-Ukraine border are reportedly still missing.

According to a report published by The Hindu on Sunday, citing communication from the Ministry of External Affairs and statements from the families of two missing men, Mohammad Amin Sheikh, a 65-year-old resident of Kupwara in Tangdhar, Jammu and Kashmir, said that his 27-year-old son, Zahoor Sheikh, last contacted the family on December 31, 2023.

Amin Sheikh mentioned that his son said that he was going for training and would not be available for the next three months on phone. “But when we started getting news about the deaths of Indians in Russia in January, we got worried and called on his number. We could not reach him. We are yet to hear from him,” Sheikh, a retired Inspector from the Public Health Department in Jammu and Kashmir, was quoted as saying by the publication.

Last week, Mohammad Amin Sheikh and his two other sons travelled to New Delhi to seek answers from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Russian Embassy after the Indian Embassy in Moscow failed to give them information about Zahoor Sheikh.

“We submitted a petition at the Russian Embassy,” 31-year-old Aijaz Amin, Zahoor Sheikh’s elder brother, told The Hindu. “They said they are looking into the matter. The MEA officials said that at least 15 Indians are still missing and though the Russian government is cooperative, their commanders on the ground are not responsive,” he added.

Zahoor had travelled to Russia after he came across a YouTube video promising the job of a security helper in Russia. Instead, he was reportedly deceived into joining the Russian Army.

Similarly, 30-year-old Mandeep, from Jalandhar in Punjab, has been missing since March. His brother, Jagdeep Kumar, also arrived in Delhi, looking for answers from the government about his sibling's whereabouts.

“We last spoke on March 3. He initially went to Armenia and was supposed to go to Italy from there in search of work. Instead, he was tricked by an agent to go to Russia and was forced to join the Russian Army. He was sent to the war zone after a few days of training,” Kumar told The Hindu.

Kumar said he met officials from the External Affairs Ministry in the capital city, who told him that at least 25 Indians were reported missing in Russia.