Operation Kaveri is an ongoing rescue operation conducted by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Sudan during the 2023 Sudan conflict. The evacuation is presently being conducted by air and sea. Most of the evacuations were done by Indian Navy through INS Sumedha. The Indian Armed Forces are also conducting the evacuation of thousands of Indians in Sudan.
There were thousands of Indians stuck in the war-hit Sudan. Reportedly, till now, around 3,000 stranded Indians have left Sudan for Jeddah. India strengthened Operation Kaveri to rescue stranded citizens from Khartoum on Friday.
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But on May 1, one of the Indians who got rescued from Sudan criticized the arrangements made by the Government of India to rescue Indians from crisis-hit Sudan.
In a tweet, The person complained and asked about the lack of air conditioning in the plane used by the Air Force to rescue Indians from Sudan
A friend of his shared a photograph of the rescue plane carrying hundreds of Indians, and wrote,
“Try sitting like this for 5 hours. This was Jeddah to Delhi flight with no AC.”
The tweet was later deleted by Ramesh.
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Supporting Ramesh another person wrote,
If evacuation was from Sudan I can understand. But this is from Saudi where plenty of commercial flights are easily available, Indian govt is treating ordinary citizen like animals. I think animals are transported better than this. No AC, no seats/seatbelts, no bathroom use 🤦🏻 https://t.co/haV1xS71gU
— Arjun (@comradarjun) May 1, 2023
Ramesh who criticized the rescue operation clarified that he was not even on that particular plane. He wrote that he came back “comfortably” on Saudia Airlines.
He tweeted,
“Bangalore (read South Indian) passengers like me came via Saudia Airlines. Those to Delhi went in this aircraft. Those to Delhi went in this aircraft.”
Yes. Bangalore (read South Indian) passengers like me came via Saudia airlines. Those to Delhi went in this aircraft.
— Ramesh RADHAKRISHNAN (@warrierramesh) May 1, 2023
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Ramesh was not aware or chose to overlook that C17 and C130J, the planes used by India for the rescue mission, have regulated temperatures. Sitting in a plane at 35,000 ft altitude is impossible without regulated temperature.
The Saudia Airlines plane that Ramesh took was also arranged by the Government of India
As per reports, alongside its own Indian Air Force C130J aircraft, India took services from Saudi Airlines to fly Indians to different cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
Ramesh said in a follow-up tweet that the real evacuation was done by Indian Embassy in Sudan at Khartoum. The Indian Embassy arranged buses from Khartoum to Port Sudan. He actually tried to create a division between the Indian agencies and security forces that worked hand in hand to bring back Indians from Sudan.
Yes. The real evacuation was done at Khartoum by the @EoI_Khartoum who arranged 100s of buses from Khartoum to Port Sudan. It was not easy and safe either. Khartoum is the real war zone.
— Ramesh RADHAKRISHNAN (@warrierramesh) May 2, 2023
His lack of gratefulness did not go well with netizens who wanted to give him teaching
Retired Major General Harsha Kakar said,
“This is a rescue flight and not a trip to a holiday destination in a paid airline seat @warrierramesh. #OperationKaveri did not cost a penny to those rescued. Compared to your cheap comments, those who were flown home were elated and mentally at peace.”
Ramesh was quick to reply to Retd. Maj Gen Kakar, he claimed that he was not criticizing the Indian govt. He tweeted,
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“I did not say anything against the government, let alone being abusive or thankless. It was an FYI to fellow citizens, urging them to be empathetic towards them. Instead of being sorry, you all assumed that I was being thankless and went on abusing me! Wow! Read my tweet again.”
But in reply to another tweet where a Twitter user had said,
“It’s better to evacuate without ac rather than leaving behind people to suffer”
Ramesh apparently said,
Yes. If it was a war zone. Jeddah was not.
Yes. If it was a war zone. Jeddah was not.
— Ramesh RADHAKRISHNAN (@warrierramesh) May 2, 2023
Ramesh’s tweet was part of a shared thread about the rescue operation. His first tweet in the thread made it clear that he and his family left everything behind and traveled with one bag per person. They had to leave everything as the situation was so bad in Sudan.
normalise and my organization will be ship it to me. Not perfect but safe. Waiting to get evacuated. Bus-Khartoum to Port Sudan two days
Ship-Port Sudan to Jeddah one day
Jeddah to India by air
This is just the travel time.
What is the waiting time, no idea!— Ramesh RADHAKRISHNAN (@warrierramesh) April 23, 2023
In another tweet, Ramesh shared his disappointment over not getting the free food being offered by Lulu as some “uncivilized” passengers before he took extra food
As it happened yesterday for lunch, whoever came first took more than one packet and those who followed a civilized process like me and my family could get none. 😂
Yesterday we managed to get food thanks to Lulu who got addl supplies.Bharatiya sanskruti display full-on mode. pic.twitter.com/anWUCELWfa
— Ramesh RADHAKRISHNAN (@warrierramesh) April 28, 2023
A little scrutiny of Ramesh’s Twitter timeline revealed some interesting facts. He had retweeted Mahua Moitra Fans’ tweet where it was claimed PM Modi spent Rs 8,400 crores on planes that he “gifted himself”.
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But apparently, the planes were brought for the Prime Minister, President, and Vice President. They were not just for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The planes are also supposed to serve the next PM, when and whoever that will be after PM Modi’s tenure ends.
There were many retweets by Ramesh that clearly showed his political inclination. But it’s still strange and difficult to understand why would a person target the rescue operation that he himself used to escape war-hit Sudan.
He ultimately thanked MEA for the rescue after receiving a lot of backlashes
However, I must applaud the Ambassador Mr BS Mubarak and his team @EoI_Khartoum for ensuring every Indian reached Port Sudan as well as the Indian government @DrSJaishankar and his team for taking care of us from there. Most embassies left this citizens to fend for themselves.
— Ramesh RADHAKRISHNAN (@warrierramesh) May 1, 2023
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