At an urgent press conference held today at A.P. Bhavan in New Delhi, international humanitarian and peace activist Dr. K.A. Paul appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately accept the resignation of Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. Citing 17 reasons, Dr. Paul criticized the minister’s significant lack of experience and highlighted the negative impact on India’s global reputation following the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, which claimed nearly 300 lives.
Addressing the media, Dr. Paul questioned why such a critical ministry was entrusted to a young, inexperienced individual just 37 years old with no background in aviation.
“I demand the resignation of Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Ram Mohan Naidu. At only 37 years old, he lacks any experience in the aviation sector. Managing this domain is extremely complex — I have personally owned a private aircraft since 1991,” Dr. Paul stated.
The fatal accident involved 169 Indian nationals, along with 53 British, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian citizen, and several medical students. Dr. Paul described the incident as an international embarrassment for India and called for accountability at the highest levels of leadership.
“This tragedy took the lives of 169 Indians, 53 British citizens, 7 Portuguese, and one Canadian. To protect India’s international image, the minister must step down,” he added.
Besides domestic concerns, Dr. Paul also expressed deep worry over the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Considering the threat of military conflict, he urged immediate diplomatic intervention to prevent a global crisis.
“I appeal to Prime Minister Netanyahu to halt attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and I urge Iranian leadership to avoid retaliatory actions that could escalate this into a Third World War. We cannot afford more wars — millions of lives have already been lost in 56 wars, costing trillions of dollars,” he emphasized.
Having previously served as a state guest in Iran and delivered humanitarian aid there, Dr. Paul warned that continued hostilities could have severe worldwide repercussions, especially given the strategic alliances on both sides.
