Congress, TMC slam VK Singh for 'shameful, reprehensible' remarks on ex-gratia for kin of Indians killed in Iraq

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh drew flak on Friday from Congress and TMC for his remarks comparing the demand for compensation to families of the 39 Indians killed in Iraq to “ distribution of biscuits" . While Congress lashed out at the Union minister, calling his remark “heartless, shameful and reprehensible”, TMC leader Derek O’Brien said he used “inappropriate words”. Congress also demanded an apology from him as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [caption id=“attachment_4415969” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  VK Singh at Baghdad airport on Sunday. PTI[/caption] Congress’ communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her deputy VK Singh continued to mislead the families of 39 Indians, killed by the Islamic State in Iraq’s Mosul, giving them false hopes that they were alive though knowing well there was overwhelming evidence that they had been killed. “And now that their mortal remains are coming back, instead of holding hands and sympathising with the families and providing succour in form of compensation and jobs to the families, VK Singh’s completely inhuman statement, that giving compensation is not like distributing biscuits, is shameful, reprehensible and unacceptable in a democracy,” Surjewala said. “Arrogance has gone to the head of Modi government and its ministers. Does Singh feel that the 39 families are beggars? Isn’t he the same person who compared Dalit children to dogs? Should the prime minister and Singh not apologise for this?” he asked. “He has no right to continue as a minister even for a single day and he should be sacked. The prime minister must give Rs 1 crore compensation and a job to each one of these families,” he added. Asked about the compensation to the families, VK Singh, who accompanied the mortal remains back from Mosul, said, “This is not like distributing biscuits, I do not have like a box of money in my pocket that I will just declare the compensation right now… this matter concerns people’s lives.” O’Brien also termed the remark as “insensitive” and said the minister used “inappropriate words”. O’Brien said on Twitter:

General Foot in Mouth mantri at it again. Insensitive. "Football" and "Biscuits"... inappropriate words when you are mourning the 39 dead #MosulTragedy Iraq

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) April 2, 2018

After returning with the bodies of the 39 dead in Mosul, VK Singh reportedly said in Amritsar that he was not “distributing biscuits”, when asked by reporters about compensation to the families of the victims. He also shared a video of him returning with the bodies, and wrote, “The weight of some responsibilities is far greater.”

कुछ ज़िम्मेदारियों का बोझ काफी ज्यादा होता है। #RestInPeaceMyFellowIndians pic.twitter.com/7cyKDOySvY

— Gen VK Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) April 2, 2018

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In March,  Swaraj had told Parliament that as many as 40 Indians were abducted by Islamic State from Mosul in June 2014, but one of them escaped posing as a Muslim from Bangladesh. The remaining 39 Indians were taken to Badoosh and killed, she had said. With inputs from agencies