Iran crisis: 3 Karnataka legislators, scores of others stranded in West Asia; govt seeks MEA intervention

BENGALURU/MYSURU/MANGALURU/HUBBALLI: The Karnataka govt has sought the intervention of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) in bringing back Kannadigas stranded in the Gulf countries amid the conflict between Iran and Israel-United States.

From Ballari to Chitradurga to Mangaluru to Mysuru, hundreds of tourists and expatriates are stuck because of the retaliatory bombing by Iran following the killing of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Sunday. With missile attacks hitting Dubai airport, thousands have been left stranded there as well, including Congress MLAs Na Ra Bharath Reddy and SR Srinivas, and JD(S) MLC SL Bhojegowda.


Bhojegowda, who has released a video clip of him and his family from Dubai, said he was travelling from Johannesburg in South Africa to India, via Dubai. "But as soon as we reached Dubai airport, it was conveyed to us that all flights were grounded because of the air strikes by Iran," he said.

State Election Commissioner SG Sangreshi and Pushpa Amarnath, vice-chairperson of Karnataka State Guarantee Schemes Implementation Committee, have also been unable to return. "The situation here is under control. I was scheduled to fly to Bengaluru on Sunday. However, because of the prevailing circumstances, it was cancelled. So I'm still in Dubai," Sangreshi said, adding that the chief minister has spoken to them and promised full support.

As of Sunday night, 84 Kannadigas were stranded in the UAE (Dubai) and eight in Bahrain. Of those in the UAE, 32 are from Ballari, 19 from Bengaluru, eight from Davangere, five from Chikkamagaluru, four from Kodagu, three each from Raichur and Shivamogga, two each from Udupi, Kalaburagi, and Vijayapura, and one each from Chikkaballapur and Tumakuru. In Bahrain, the stranded individuals included four from Hassan, three from Udupi, and one from Kodagu, all of whom are on employment or visit visas.

Will bring them back: CM

Taking to social media, CM Siddaramaiah said he has spoken to a few of the Kannadigas, including Bhojegowda, to find out their position in Dubai, and also directed the chief secretary to coordinate with the MEA to safely bring back the state's citizens. "It is quite comforting to understand that Kannadigas have taken shelter in safe places; there is no need to be anxious about their return. The govt is taking the responsibility of bringing them back safely," he stated.

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also said the govt is coordinating with Kannada associations in the Gulf countries that are under attack, to seek assistance for the stranded tourists and take stock of their general welfare.

Karnataka has activated its state emergency operation centres (SEOC) and all district emergency operations (DEOC), which will be functioning 24x7. The centres will disseminate all the relevant advisories from the Gulf countries and extend assistance if necessary. The govt has asked citizens to contact the local embassies and consulates in those countries, use the Sarthi Sahayata portal and other official portals to seek assistance.

Sunday evening, chief secretary Shalini Rajneesh sent out letters to MEA secretary Vikrant Misri and civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, seeking their assistance in helping the stranded passengers with complimentary boarding and extended flexibility in ticket rescheduling/waivers of additional charges, apart from arranging enough flights.

Struggling for funds

Meanwhile, 35 people from Ballari district, who had travelled to Dubai on a tour, are stranded. A total of 50 people from the state, including 15 from Chitradurga, had left Ballari for Dubai on Feb 24 and were scheduled to return on Feb 28. However, as air strikes began, flight operations were suspended, leaving them stuck in Dubai.

Some of the tourists contacted their relatives through video calls and said they had exhausted their trip funds. 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 of this, 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, Nagendra said. One of the air strikes allegedly occurred near Reddy's hotel, causing brief concern, but he and the tourists were safe, added Nagendra.

Expats stuck in India

Tens of expatriates who had booked tickets to travel to Gulf destinations and other countries were stranded in India due to travel restrictions on several routes. Among those affected was M Mohandas Kamath, who was to return to Kuwait from Mangaluru. According to him, the conditions in Kuwait have become tense, with reports of supermarkets running out of supplies, schools declared closed until March 3, online classes announced, and scheduled exams cancelled.

At Mangaluru International Airport, multiple services to Gulf destinations were cancelled 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 CM and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai claimed the Indian govt has already taken several measures, and the state needs to work to bring citizens back safely. "The responsibility to safely bring back Indians, especially Kannadigas, lies with the state govt," he added.