‘When I raised my voice’: Siddaramaiah’s swipe at Centre amid Operation Kaveri from Sudan

As the third batch of 131 Indians left war-torn Sudan under Operation Kaveri, Karnataka former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said when he raised his voice seeking help from the government, the foreign minister accused him of doing politics. “Nothing is beyond humanity. Politics too,” Siddaramaiah wrote.

Operation Kaveri was launched on Monday, April 24 to evacuate Indians stranded in Sudan where Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups are fighting. A transit facility in Jeddah will host the Indians being evacuated for the time being before they arrive in India. Indian Navy has also joined Operation Kaveri with INS Teg arriving at Port Sudan on Tuesday with additional officials and essential relief materials.

Ahead of the crucial Karnataka Assembly Election, the government’s response to the Sudan crisis became a political row as external affairs minister S Jaishankar snubbed Siddaramaiah for ‘doing politics’ when several lives are at stake.

“Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; don’t do politics. Since the fighting started on April 14th, the Embassy of India in Khartoum has been continuously in touch with most Indian Nationals and PIOs in Sudan. Plans regarding them have to take into account a very complicated security scenario. The Embassy is in constant touch with the Ministry in that regard. It is grossly irresponsible of you to politicize their situation. No electoral goal justifies endangering Indians abroad,” Jaishankar replied to Siddaramaiah’s tweet last week. As it opened a volley of criticism from both sides, the external affairs ministry pressed into action, spoke with other countries whose nationals are in Sudan and after a high-level meeting by PM Modi where PM Modi asked the officials to prepare for contingency evacuation, Operation Kaveri was launched.

Reacting to a report of a Keralite getting a call from the embassy to be ready to fly, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said Jaishankar was immediately responsive to his request and readily agreed to his suggestion. “I am most grateful. As during Covid, govts are at their best when they put human beings first, ahead of rules,” Tharoor tweeted. The Keralite and his pregnant Sudanese wife were stranded in Khartoum and meanwhile, his wife had a miscarriage.