Soft-pedalling on Italy

Abhimanyu

T’S another diplomatic mess. Indian government is neck deep in it. The Italian government  has refused to return the two marines who are facing trial for killing two Kerala  fishermen.
Angered by a sudden U-turn by the Italian government which refused the return of two  marines, charged with the killing of two Indian fishermen last year, Ministry of External  Affairs summoned Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini to convey India’s position on this  matter in the “strongest of terms”.

“I summoned the Italian Ambassador to my office. Basically, what I told him is that the  content of the note which was given to us conveying the position of the Government of  Italy regarding the two marines is not acceptable to us.  There was an offer of discussions  which has been made in a note from the Italians on March 6 that is a separate from the  assurance given to the Supreme Court,” Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said.  The Prime  Minister said it was “unacceptable”.

The BJP said that the entire episode smacked of ”diplomatic collusion” between New Delhi and  Rome over its decision not to send back the two Italian marines being tried for killing two  Indian fishermen.” It was a planned strategy and looks like a diplomatic collusion between  India and Italy.
People who murdered two Indians are getting away scot free. We want to know under  whose influence this is happening,” asked BJP leader Balbir Punj. BJP leader, Rajiv Pratap  Rudy, said it was “bluff and betrayal” by the Italian government and India should respond  strongly. It is a betrayal and bluff to the … Supreme Court which was generous to allow  them (marines) to go home twice,” said Rudy.  He said Kerala Chief Minister Oomen  Chandy had feared that they might not return to India. “A big question arises over the role  of the Indian government.”

BJP’s Kerala unit said that Italy’s decision not to send its two marines back to India to  face trial for allegedly killing the two fishermen was a challenge posed against the Centre.  V  Muraleedharan, BJP state President alleged that from the beginning of the case itself, the  Centre had adopted a stand in favour of the Italian marines and it was due to the  intervention of the people that Centre was “forced” to resort to actions against the two  marines. BJP would demand the Centre to take steps to bring them back to India, he said.

The marines —Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone- -charged with homicide for  killing two fishermen off the Kerala coast in February last year in an anti-piracy operation,  were permitted by the Supreme Court last month to go to Italy for four weeks for voting  in election.  Last time they were allowed to go home for Christmas holidays after which  they returned back to India on expiry of their leave.

The government, however, has tacitly put the onus on the apex court. The foreign ministry  said that the government had made it clear that the decision to allow them to go to Italy for  voting was “entirely upto the court since the matter was subjudice.”
Interestingly  the Indian government, which is now crying foul over Italy’s decision not to  send back  the marines, however, had signed a treaty on transfer of sentenced prisoners stating that  the Italians if convicted would have been allowed to return home to serve their prison  sentence. The treaty was ratified last month.
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