On Wednesday, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, saying the Union minister provided a “most appalling response” to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had asked the Centre to act on reports that 31 tribals from Karnataka were stranded in Sudan.
Jairam Ramesh responded to Jaishankar’s tweet criticizing Siddaramaiah, saying, “This level of nastiness from a man I have known so very well…who has developed new loyalties and who wants to show that in whatever he says and does.”
Jaishankar had accused Siddaramaih of politicizing the situation of Indians in Sudan the day before. In a scathing tweet, Jaishankar told the former Karnataka chief minister, “Don’t do politics” because lives are at stake.
Siddaramaiah had asked the Centre to intervene after learning that 31 people from Karnataka’s Hakki Pikki tribe were stranded in Sudan. He claimed that these 31 people have been “stranded without food for a few days and the government has yet to initiate action to bring them back.”
He had urged the BJP government to “immediately open diplomatic discussions and reach out to international agencies” to ensure the tribals’ well-being.
Jaishankar responded to Siddaramaiah, saying he was “appalled” by the latter’s tweet. The Congress leader responded, “If you are busy being appalled, please point us to the person who can help us bring our people back.”
Siddaramaiah stated that he had only approached Jaishankar because he was the External Affairs Minister.
According to the UN, the latest death toll in Sudan’s conflict is 185, with an additional 1,800 injured. One man from Kerala died as a result of his injuries after being struck by a stray bullet during the crossfire.
