New Delhi, Aug 29: A slew of Opposition leaders lauded the efforts of government in bringing back stranded Indians in Nepal following the devastating natural disaster and urged the Centre to act in ‘mission mode,’ deploy all available resources to trace the missing citizens and ensure their safe return.

Speaking to media, JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey said the number of casualties could be much higher than currently reported, based on unconfirmed information.

“The number appears to be very high, based on the unconfirmed reports coming in. I believe it could cross into the thousands. There is still no information about many people from our country, including tourists and pilgrims who had travelled to Mansarovar. This is a massive disaster, and I believe the Central Government is not doing enough to provide relief to our people. The government should act in mission mode, deploy its resources, search for our citizens, ascertain their safety and ensure that they are brought out safely,” he said.

Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha described the natural disaster in Nepal as extremely devastating and expressed solidarity with the people of the neighbouring country.

“The natural disaster that has struck Nepal is extremely devastating. Our condolences are with all the people of Nepal. We also urge the Government of India to act swiftly to locate the Indian people who have gone missing in this devastating tragedy and extend support to the people of Nepal. The Government of India should act on this issue with utmost seriousness,” Sinha said.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy termed the incident serious and highlighted the scale of the disaster.

“It is a very serious incident. There are 2,482 people missing, including 320 Indians. Around 584 people have lost their lives in Nepal. The Indian government has sent three planes carrying relief materials. This is a good effort,” he said.

RLM MP Upendra Kushwaha called the incident extremely unfortunate and expressed grief over the loss of lives.

“This is a very unfortunate incident. It is a natural disaster, and humans cannot control nature. We express our grief over this incident. We pray to God that the departed souls rest in peace and give strength to their families to bear this immense loss,” he said.

BJP Uttar Pradesh president Pankaj Chaudhary said the tragedy was heart-wrenching and assured that India would continue to support Nepal.

“The incident that took place in Nepal is heart-wrenching for all of us. We all stand with the people affected by it. As a good neighbour, the Indian government sent help. The government will continue to provide assistance in the future,” Chaudhary said.

Bihar Minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary said the disaster underlined the need for stronger preparedness and long-term planning to minimise the impact of natural calamities.

“It is a very tragic incident. But what is important is that we need to work on how we can better prepare ourselves and prevent the impact of natural calamities. Nepal is a very fragile country. As far as I can remember, over the past three or four years, Nepal has repeatedly faced one disaster or another. India is already doing its part to help, but other countries should also come forward and work together on how we can protect Nepal,” he said.

Union MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh sais, “On the day this very tragic incident occurred, our mission immediately started a 24-hour helpline and provided a helpline number so that we could keep a watch and monitor where what was happening, where anything was needed, especially, and also get information about our Indian citizens who were stranded there or were present there, and address any difficulties they were facing.”

Mumbai, Aug 29: A group of Maharashtra residents who were stranded in flood-affected areas of Nepal has safely returned to India and is now on its way back to the state, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

The Maharashtra citizens, who were caught in the flood-ravaged regions of Nepal amid the difficult conditions, were evacuated following coordinated efforts by the authorities. After reaching India safely, they interacted with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through a video call and expressed their gratitude to the state government for its prompt intervention and assistance.

According to the CMO, the citizens thanked the Government of Maharashtra and the Chief Minister’s Office for their swift response, coordination and continued efforts to facilitate their safe return. During the virtual interaction, they also shared their relief at being back in India after being stranded in Nepal.

Speaking to the stranded citizens after their safe return, Chief Minister Fadnavis said their timely evacuation and return had been facilitated by the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar. He said the Centre ensured that immediate assistance reached the affected citizens and that necessary arrangements were made for their safe movement.

The CMO Maharashtra said in a post on X that the citizens had safely returned to India and were proceeding towards Maharashtra. The office also highlighted the coordination between the state government and authorities involved in the evacuation process.

Earlier, on August 27, Chief Minister Fadnavis had spoken to Maharashtra residents stranded in Nepal and assured them that the state government would make every possible effort to ensure their safe return.

In a post on X, the CMO said that all 106 passengers from Nagpur had safely departed from Kathmandu for Danapur in Bihar. Following a phone call from Fadnavis, Nepal MP Sandeep Rana arranged four local mini-buses to facilitate the passengers’ journey from Kathmandu to Janakpur.

The passengers were expected to reach the Janakpur-Bihar border the following morning, after which buses had been arranged to take them to Danapur. Their onward return journey by train had also been arranged.

Jalna, Aug 29: Activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Saturday launched a fresh fast unto death at Antarwali Sarati to press for Maratha reservation, declaring that the community’s three-year struggle is now on the “verge of victory.” He appealed to members of the Maratha community across Maharashtra to step out of their homes, gather at the protest site, and stand united for the cause.

This marks Jarange Patil’s 11th hunger strike. He has reiterated his demand for the issuance of Kunbi certificates to all based on the 58 lakh recorded entries and the approval of certificates previously rejected during caste verification.

Emphasising independence and community solidarity, Jarange Patil remarked, “We have no party, no leader; our caste is our only identity. Marathas must stop relying on the government.”

Calling this the final fight for the rights of future generations, he urged the community not to remain passive, warning that any complacency at this stage could lead to betrayal.

Jarange Patil has demanded immediate distribution of Kunbi caste certificates based on the 58 lakh historical records identified by the Shinde Committee, issuance of caste validity certificates alongside the Kunbi certificates and clarification on the operational framework for issuing validity under the Hyderabad Gazetteer, abolition of the state’s Caste Verification Committees, questioning why such committees exist in Maharashtra when they are not present elsewhere in the country and immediate implementation of Government Orders (GRs) concerning the Satara and Kolhapur princely state records to grant OBC benefits to the Maratha community.

Further, he has demanded unconditional withdrawal of all police cases registered against Maratha protesters across Maharashtra and government jobs and support for the families of individuals who sacrificed their lives during the reservation movement.

Jarange Patil stressed that the agitation would not stop until all demands are fully met by the Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He also urged affluent and influential leaders within the Maratha community to step forward and support the poorer sections during this critical phase of the movement.

Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil arrived in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar anticipating the need for discussions during the strike.

Jarange Patil claims this protest represents the final phase of their struggle. Prior to the hunger strike, Minister Vikhe Patil held a meeting with local officials and claimed that only 0.3 per cent of entries have been rejected, assuring that certificates are being granted to all eligible applicants.

However, rejecting all government claims, Jarange Patil announced that he would proceed with his hunger strike starting Saturday.

“Those who believe they have valid records and possess all required documents as per the government regulations should immediately submit their applications to their respective District Collectors within the next eight days. We will take swift action on them,” stated Vikhe Patil.

Addressing Jarange Patil’s objections regarding two to four specific certificates, Minister Vikhe Patil added that he has requested the Caste Verification Committee to reconsider those cases, while noting that some individuals have approached the High Court, making it a sub-judice matter.

In response to Jarange Patil’s frequent references to the 58 lakh recorded entries, the government provided him with official figures showing that out of 1,431,634 applications received up to August 24, a total of 1,424,634 individuals have already been issued Kunbi certificates. The government claims that only 1,747 applications remain pending across the state, while 5,248 applications have been rejected.

Despite these figures, Jarange maintains his insistence that every individual among the 58 lakh records must be issued a certificate. Officials, however, state that new applications are not being submitted at that scale.

To express solidarity with Jarange Patil’s protest, a meeting of the Maratha community decided to organise a rally of 1,000 autorickshaws from Dharashiv district on Saturday.

Thousands of activists from various parts of the district are expected to join the rally and head toward Antarwali Sarati. With a massive number of rickshaws travelling simultaneously, authorities anticipate potential traffic congestion in and around the Antarwali Sarati area in Jalna district.