New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) A slew of Opposition leaders lauded the efforts of government in bringing back stranded Indians in Nepal following the devastating natural disaster and urged the Centre to act in ‘mission mode,’ deploy all available resources to trace the missing citizens and ensure their safe return.
Speaking to IANS, JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said the number of casualties could be much higher than currently reported, based on unconfirmed information.
“The number appears to be very high, based on the unconfirmed reports coming in. I believe it could cross into the thousands. There is still no information about many people from our country, including tourists and pilgrims who had travelled to Mansarovar. This is a massive disaster, and I believe the Central Government is not doing enough to provide relief to our people. The government should act in mission mode, deploy its resources, search for our citizens, ascertain their safety and ensure that they are brought out safely,” he said.
Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha described the natural disaster in Nepal as extremely devastating and expressed solidarity with the people of the neighbouring country.
“The natural disaster that has struck Nepal is extremely devastating. Our condolences are with all the people of Nepal. We also urge the Government of India to act swiftly to locate the Indian people who have gone missing in this devastating tragedy and extend support to the people of Nepal. The Government of India should act on this issue with utmost seriousness,” Sinha said.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy termed the incident serious and highlighted the scale of the disaster.
“It is a very serious incident. There are 2,482 people missing, including 320 Indians. Around 584 people have lost their lives in Nepal. The Indian government has sent three planes carrying relief materials. This is a good effort,” he said.
RLM MP Upendra Kushwaha called the incident extremely unfortunate and expressed grief over the loss of lives.
“This is a very unfortunate incident. It is a natural disaster, and humans cannot control nature. We express our grief over this incident. We pray to God that the departed souls rest in peace and give strength to their families to bear this immense loss,” he said.
BJP Uttar Pradesh president Pankaj Chaudhary said the tragedy was heart-wrenching and assured that India would continue to support Nepal.
“The incident that took place in Nepal is heart-wrenching for all of us. We all stand with the people affected by it. As a good neighbour, the Indian government sent help. The government will continue to provide assistance in the future,” Chaudhary said.
Bihar Minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary said the disaster underlined the need for stronger preparedness and long-term planning to minimise the impact of natural calamities.
“It is a very tragic incident. But what is important is that we need to work on how we can better prepare ourselves and prevent the impact of natural calamities. Nepal is a very fragile country. As far as I can remember, over the past three or four years, Nepal has repeatedly faced one disaster or another. India is already doing its part to help, but other countries should also come forward and work together on how we can protect Nepal,” he said.
Union MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh sais, “On the day this very tragic incident occurred, our mission immediately started a 24-hour helpline and provided a helpline number so that we could keep a watch and monitor where what was happening, where anything was needed, especially, and also get information about our Indian citizens who were stranded there or were present there, and address any difficulties they were facing.”
–IANS
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