Cabinet Adopts Resolution Against Kashmir Terror Attack

A total of 178 people from Karnataka, who had gone to Srinagar, were brought back in a special flight to Bengaluru in the early hours of Thursday in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, Labour Minister Santosh Lad said.

- Naheed Ataulla

BENGALURU:

Lad, who was deputed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to oversee the evacuation of Karnataka tourists from Srinagar, accompanied the 178 people in the special flight.

“My mandate from the CM was to bring those stranded in Srinagar. A total of 178 people from Karnataka were brought back today in the special flight,” he told reporters after landing at the Kempegowda International Airport. He left for Srinagar on Wednesday, a day after the attack to assist people from Karnataka to return home.

“Those who survived the terror act were living in fear. After reaching there, I visited all hotels and resorts to identify the Karnataka tourists. I didn’t even have time to change my clothes or refresh myself,” he said. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹10 lakh each to those killed in the terror act from Karnataka.

Meanwhile, the last rites of the three people of Karnataka, who were killed in the terrorist attack were performed on Thursday. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya accompanied the family members of the two people — Manjunath Rao from Shivamogga and Bharath Bhushan from Bengaluru. Their mortal remains reached Bengaluru on Thursday morning. The body of the third person, Madhusudhan Rao, originally from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, was flown to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday and taken to Nellore as per his family members’ wishes.