‘Dead body will consume more space’: BJP MLA on student killed in Ukraine

BJP MLA Arvind Bellad recently garnered backlash for making a controversial remark on Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagowda, a 21-year-old Indian student killed in war-hit Ukraine.

Bellad, who represents the Hubli-Dharwad constituency in Karnataka, spoke to reporters and stated that “a dead body takes up more space in a flight”.

“The government is putting in effort to bring back the mortal remains of Naveen. Ukraine is a war zone and everyone is aware of it. Efforts are being made and if possible, the body will be brought back,” Bellad told reporters.

“While it is very challenging to bring back those who are alive, it has become even more difficult to bring back the dead because a dead body will consume more space on the flight. Instead, eight to 10 persons can be accommodated in place of a dead body, which would consume more space,” he added.

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Bellad further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is putting in all efforts to fly back Naveen’s body. 

Naveen, 21, was pursuing a degree in medicine at the Kharkiv National Medical University in Ukraine. After holing up in a bunker for days, he decided to go out with a group of friends to buy groceries. The 21-year-old was killed while being in a queue outside a store. According to his friend, Naveen planned to catch a train after stocking up on food on Tuesday. 

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“One group left on Monday. But Naveen suggested that the others wait so that we can take our juniors along, too, as they had been in Ukraine for less than a year. It was his idea to leave Kharkiv on Wednesday morning,” Amit Vaishyar, a friend of Naveen, told The Indian Express. 

Naveen’s father Shekharappa Gyanagowda told NDTV that he was assured by the government that his son’s mortal remains would be flown back home “within two days.” He had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to help bring his son’s body back.