Saudi based Kannadigas offer to bear charges of first Chartered flight from Dammam to Mangaluru
SAQCO Company’s Althaf Ullal, Basheer Sagar propose to government
Dammam: Amidst the Corona Lockdown across countries and suspension of flight connectivity between countries, Indians stranded in abroad have faced a lot of hardships and plights over the last couple of months. Social media is abuzz with stories of thousands of stranded Indians waiting for their repatriation.
Several social media campaigns have also been run over the last few weeks to bring the plights of Kannadiga NRIs to the state and central governments’ notice. Even after several attempts the government has so far been unable to arrange flights to Karnataka from KSA.
Directors of Al Khobar based SAQCO Company, Althaf Ullal and Basheer Sagar, both Kannadigas, have now come forward and have pitched an offer to state and central governments that they will bear the cost of first Chartered flight with stranded Indians from Dammam to Mangaluru.
In a letter written to Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa and Union Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, they have stated that their company will bear the cost of the first chartered flight from Dammam to Mangaluru if it starts on or before June 5. According to SAQCO, this first flight will consist of around 180 people with medical emergencies, pregnant women, senior citizens on visit visas and other stranded Indians with emergencies.
They have further added that their company will pay the estimated amount of 45 lac directly to the Chartered flight carrier firm and that the passengers will bear the cost of institutional quarantine after arriving at Mangaluru.
Indian government under the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ has arranged flights from some gulf countries wherein stranded Indians have to bear the travel costs along with the cost of institutional quarantine after arriving in India. However the government has so far been unable to arrange a flight to the state from Saudi Arabia.
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Congress too made mistakes, will need to change its politics: Rahul Gandhi
Lucknow, May 10: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party too has made mistakes and will have to change its politics in future.
The remark came at an event in Lucknow where he accused the Narendra of being a monarch and not a prime minister, calling him a front for “two three financiers”.
Answering a question from a member of the audience at the event on the Constitution, the former Congress president said he was “100 per cent” prepared to take on Narendra Modi in a debate, but he knew that the prime minister will not agree.
"The Congress party will also have to change its politics in the coming times. This will have to be done. I also want to say that the Congress party has also made mistakes and I am saying this while being from the Congress party," he said in his speech.
However, he did not elaborate on what “change” he felt the Congress needed.
The “Samvidhan Sammelan” was organised by the Samruddha Bharat Foundation.
Gandhi claimed that the ruling BJP will be restricted to less than 180 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
"I can give you in writing, if you want, that Narendra Modi is not going to be the PM again," he said, repeating the prediction he made at joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh earlier in the day with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
"Some people in politics only think of how to get power. I was born into it and have no interest in it. But for me it's just a tool to help public," he said.
He said 90 per cent of the population in India comprises of people from the SC/ST, OBC, Dalits, tribals, minorities and the poor from the general community who are not given equal participation.
He then repeated his call for a caste-based census.
"If the nation is to be strengthened, it cannot be done without including the 90 per cent. If you say that the 90 per cent will not come into bureaucracy, sports, media, judiciary and even beauty pageants, then what superpower will you make? Do you want to make 10 per cent of the population a superpower," he said.
He accused the prime minister of attacking the Constitution. "Modi ji is a king, I am telling the truth,” Gandhi said.
“He is not the prime minister, he is a king. He has nothing to do with the Cabinet, Parliament or the Constitution. He is the king of the 21st century and is the front for two or three financiers who have the real power."
At the end of his address, Gandhi took three questions including one on a recent suggestion that he and the PM should take part in a debate.
“I am 100 per cent ready to debate with anyone, with the prime minister. But I know the prime minister will not debate with me,” he said.
He added that party president Mallikarjun Kharge could also take part in a debate.
When asked about the Old Pension Scheme not being included in the party manifesto, Gandhi said the matter is “open to consideration”.
Asked if the institutions privatised by the Modi government will be nationalised again, Gandhi said, “It will be difficult but we will not allow the blatant privatisation of big institutions.”
