Govt seeks MEA intervention, as three legislators and scores of others stranded in Gulf

Bengaluru/Mysuru/Mangaluru/Hubbali: The state government has sought the intervention of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) in bringing back Kannadigas who are stranded in the Gulf countries amid the war between Iran and Israel-US.From Ballari to Chitradurga and from Mangaluru to Mysuru, across the state, hundreds of tourists and expatriates have been stranded due to the retaliatory bombing by Iran for the killing of their supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Sunday.
With the missile attack destroying the Dubai airport, thousands of people, including those from Karnataka have been left stranded.Among those who are stranded due to the bombing in Dubai include Congress MLAs Na Ra Bharath Reddy and SR Srinivas, apart from JD(S) MLC SL Bhojegowda.Bhojegowda, who even released a video of him along with his family stranded in Dubai, said that he was travelling from Johannesburg in South Africa to India, via Dubai. State Election Commission (SEC) commissioner SG Sangreshi and Pushpa Amarnath, vice-chairperson of the Karnataka State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee, who was in Dubai celebrating her birthday on Sunday along with her husband, were also unable to return. Taking to social media, chief minister Siddaramaiah said he has spoken to a few Kannadigas, including MLC Bhojegowda, to find out about the situation in Dubai, and also directed the chief secretary to coordinate with the MEA to bring back the state's citizens safely. Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also said the government is coordinating with the Kannada associations in Gulf countries which are under attack from Iran, as part of its retaliatory strikes, to seek assistance for the stranded tourists.Meanwhile, 35 people from Ballari district who travelled to Dubai on a tour are stranded following the cancellation of flight services due to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region.A total of 50 people, including 15 from Chitradurga, left Ballari for Dubai on Feb 24, and were scheduled to return on Feb 28. However, as airstrikes began, flight operations were suspended, leaving them stuck in Dubai. Among them are 15 members of the Yalpi Pampanagouda family from Ballari.The group had a return flight scheduled at 9 pm on Saturday. While they were on their way to the airport, they received information that air services were cancelled due to the airstrikes. Even after reaching the airport, security personnel denied them entry.Some of the stranded tourists contacted their relatives through video calls, and said they exhausted the money they were carrying. With hotel rooms costing between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 per person per night, they were unable to afford accommodation and remained outside the airport.After being informed, Reddy and Ballari Rural MLA B Nagendra arranged accommodation for them in service quarters near the airport. The group, consisting of 23 women and 27 men, is currently staying there and is safe, according to Nagendra. From Mangaluru, tens of expatriates who had booked tickets to travel to Gulf destinations and other countries were stranded in India due to airspace closures and travel restrictions on several routes.Among those affected was M Mohandas Kamath, who was to return to Kuwait. He said that conditions in Kuwait have become tense, with reports of supermarkets running out of supplies. According to him, schools have been declared closed until March 3, online classes have been announced, and scheduled examinations have been cancelled."I am not sure when I will return," he said.At Mangaluru International Airport, multiple services to Gulf destinations were cancelled on Sunday. The cancelled flights included Mangaluru–Jeddah (both directions), Mangaluru-Muscat (both directions), Mangaluru–Dubai (both directions), as well as flights from Mangaluru to Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.Meanwhile, former BJP CM and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai claimed the Indian govt has already taken several measures, and the state govt needs to work to bring them back safely. CM Siddaramaiah condemns attack on IranShivamogga: chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday stated that the United States' attack on Iran leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran was "unnecessary". He criticised the United States, noting that while they preach peace on one hand, they engage in war on the other, and he expressed his strong condemnation of the incident.Speaking to reporters at the Rastrakavi Kuvempu Airport in Shivamogga, Siddaramaiah said he prayed that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's soul attains peace.DCM DK Shivakumar also reiterated the same, citing that innocent lives were being lost due to the war being escalated, including 60 schoolchildren who died in an air strike against Iran by Israel and the US. SEOCs activatedMeanwhile, the state government has activated its state emergency operation centres (SEOC) and all district emergency operations (DEOC) which will be functioning 24x7.The centres will disseminate advisories from the Gulf countries affected by the war, and extend assistance if necessary.The govt has asked the citizens to contact the local embassies and consulates in those countries, and use the Sarthi Sahayata portal and other official portals.