’10 people can be brought in place of a body’; BJP MLA with controversial remarks

Hubballi-Dharwad West BJP MLA Arvind Bellad with controversial remarks. The controversy was sparked by a question about the repatriation of the body of an Indian student killed in Ukraine. The MLA told reporters that 10 people could be brought in place of the body of Naveen Gyanagowda, who was killed in a shelling by Russian forces in Kharkiv. Subsequently, there was widespread protest against the MLA’s statement. Bellad made the controversial remarks while speaking to reporters on Thursday.

The MLA said that bringing a dead body is more difficult than evacuating living people from the war zone and more people can be brought to the place where the body is brought. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to repatriate people stranded in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is overseeing the mission to bring people back. The MLA said Modi had spoken to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine to ensure a safe journey for Indians. ‘The government is trying to bring back Naveen’s body. Ukraine is a war zone. Everyone knows about it. He added that efforts were being made to bring back Naveen’s body if possible and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was making every effort to repatriate Naveen’s body.

Naveen’s father Sekharappa Gyanagowda had said that the government had promised to bring the body home within two days. He said he had sought the help of Prime Minister Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to repatriate his son’s body. Naveen, a student at Kharkiv National Medical University, was killed yesterday. Naveen was out to buy essentials.

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