Kalaburagi (Karnataka), June 14 (IANS) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, has termed the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 as an “unfortunate tragedy” and assured that the central government, along with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The flight, en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, crashed shortly after take-off on June 12, resulting in the loss of 241 lives out of the 242 people on board.

Only one survivor has been reported, making this one of the deadliest air disasters in recent years.

Speaking to the media at Kalaburagi Airport on Saturday, Minister Joshi expressed deep sorrow over the immense loss of life. He emphasized that preventive measures will be implemented to avoid such tragedies in the future.

“I pray that God gives strength to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash. Appropriate compensation will be provided by the central government, the airline company, and insurance providers. Proper medical care is also being arranged for the injured,” Joshi stated.

In a separate statement, Minister Joshi criticised the Congress party over its stance on reservation and caste census, accusing it of lacking genuine social commitment.

He cited historical opposition from Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi, to reservation policies, and labeled the current discourse as a political drama.

“While B.R. Ambedkar provided for reservations in the Constitution, Congress leaders delivered long speeches in Parliament opposing it. Today, when they speak of caste census and reservation, it is nothing but laughable,” Joshi remarked.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a fresh caste census under Section 11(2) of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission Act, 1995, citing the need for updated data as the last survey was conducted a decade ago.

The state government has directed the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission to complete the survey within 90 days, referencing Telangana’s 70-day completion as a benchmark.

“The Central government has not committed to conducting a socio-educational survey. Hence, we are doing it ourselves. We are committed to providing social justice based on the survey report,” Siddaramaiah stated.

–IANS

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