‘Responsibility of govt to bring people back’: Minister MB Patil expresses concern on West Asia conflict

BENGALURU: Industries Minister M B Patil on Tuesday urged the Union government to ensure the safety and evacuation of Indians stranded in the West Asia region as the conflict intensifies.

Patil also condemned the recent actions of US President Donald Trump, who captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei in coordinated strikes with Israel.

“What is happening is not in the right spirit of the relationship of various countries… The US president removes one president and kills another, which is not right… This is causing problems for ordinary people, like the killing of 150 children in Iran… Trade will also be affected; first there were tariffs, now there is war… People’s safety is most important… It is the responsibility of the Indian government to bring people back,” he said.

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On Israel-Iran conflict, Karnataka Minister MB Patil says, “What is happening is not in the right spirit of the relationship of various countries… The US president removes one president and kills another, which is not right… This is causing problems for… pic.twitter.com/CdscKIjfnc

— ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2026

Earlier, Congress leader Rashid Alvi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is “destroying” India’s foreign policy, and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi disclose his conversations with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Israel.

He questioned PM Modi’s “silence” on the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei. “The current government has destroyed India’s foreign policy. PM is talking to the UAE rulers and others, but not with Iran. PM should tell people about his discussion with Netanyahu on this conflict. This is the reason for his silence. He has said that Israel is his fatherland, so how can he speak against his fatherland?,” Alvi told ANI.

Meanwhile, Israel conducted strikes in both Tehran and Beirut, while the US Embassy in Riyadh was struck by Iranian drones. The Israeli Defence Forces said in a post on X that it is currently conducting simultaneous targeted strikes against military targets in Tehran and Beirut.

The Jerusalem Post reported, citing Reuters, that the US Embassy in Riyadh was struck by a drone attack. It also shared that two more US soldiers were killed in Operation Epic Fury, taking the American toll to six.

US and Israel conducted airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28, targeting military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure.

These strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in the Middle East and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike. (ANI)