As the family of Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagowda, the student killed in Ukraine, wait for his body to be flown back to Karnataka, a BJP MLA has stirred up a controversy with his comment that "a dead body takes up more space in a flight".
Arvind Bellad, the BJP MLA representing the Hubli-Dharwad constituency in Karnataka, said instead of a coffin, nearly eight to 10 people can be accommodated on the plane.
He was responding to questions on the uncertainty over when Naveen's body would be brought back to Haveri, his hometown.
"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," Mr 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," said the BJP leader.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making all efforts to try and bring back Naveen's body.
Naveen's father Shekharappa Gyanagowda had told NDTV on Wednesday that he was assured by the government his body would be brought home "within two days". He said he had requested both PM Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to help bring his son's body home.
Naveen, 21, who was studying medicine at the Kharkiv National Medical University, was in a queue outside a grocery store when he was killed in Russian shelling on a government building.
He had been staying in a bunker with other students and had stepped out to stock up on food before catching a train to the border on Tuesday, according to his roommate.
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