Medical student from Haveri killed in Ukraine; More students can be brought in place of body, says BJP MLA Bellad

Bengaluru: Recently, a 21-year-old Indian medical student in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv near the Russian border was killed marking India’s first casualty in the war.

The devastated family members of the Indian student, Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, are hoping that the deceased young man’s body would be brought back to India at the earliest.

However, in a controversial statement, BJP MLA Arvind Bellad on Thursday said that more students could be brought back in the place of a dead body.

He was answering a question on the plight of students from the state and bringing back the body of the medical student.

“More space is needed to bring a dead body in the flight. In the place required for a dead body, eight persons could be accommodated and brought back,” Bellad stated.

Speaking to reporters, he stated that the government is making all efforts to bring back the body of deceased Naveen from Ukraine. There is a war going on there. It is difficult to bring back those who are alive. It is very tough to bring back a dead body, he added.

In spite of the difficulties, the external affairs ministry is trying to bring back MBBS student Naveen’s body. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is taking special care of the matter, he said.

Those who are in Ukraine are under tremendous pressure. If they manage to come to Romania, they are safe. Our country has made food and shelter arrangements for students there. They will be brought back to India soon, he said.

He questioned why Indian students are going to study medicine in large numbers to Ukraine? The reason is the huge amount of expenditure incurred here. “We have the Medical Council of India (MCI), it is a private institute. They are creating artificial demand for MBBS seats,” he maintained.

There is a taboo on allotting additional seats and an element of corruption is present. Action should be initiated against the MCI. Why can’t Indian students get affordable medical education here? Bellad questioned.

Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar was the first Indian student in Ukraine to become a victim of Russian shelling on March 1. His parents and brother have been pleading with the Indian government to bring back his body. Prime Minister Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have spoken to the family and assured that they will put in all efforts to bring back the body of Naveen. His father Shekarappa, while talking to PM Modi, had appealed to bring back the thousands of students stuck in Ukraine. However, till date, the family has not got any information on the retrieval of the body.

(With inputs from IANS)