New Delhi, Mar 19: In a hard hitting statement, the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday March 19 said that no country should take India for granted. The Congress president was referring to Italy’s refusal to send back 2 marines charged in the fishermen killing case.
‘The defiance of the Italian government on the question of the two marines and its betrayal of a commitment to our Supreme Court is outright unacceptable, said Sonia Gandhi, addressing a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party here.
No country can, should, or will be allowed to take India for granted. All means must be pursued to ensure that the commitment made by the Italian government to our Supreme Court (SC) is honoured, added Sonia Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhis remarks are significant as Congress was under attack from the Opposition, which alluding to Gandhis Italian origin, has been targeting the government questioning, why accused having links with Italy escape Indian laws starting from the time of the Bofors scandal.
Sources in the party have maintained that Gandhi was keen that the government did not appear soft on the Italian marines issue.
Meanwhile, after SC pulled up Italys Ambassador Daniele Mancini on Monday March 18 for reneging on the undertaking given to it on the Italian marines row and extended its order restraining him from leaving the country, asserting he cannot claim diplomatic immunity, Italy on Tuesday March 19 snubbed India saying that it is violating a convention on diplomatic immunity.
You went to Italy after giving an undertaking. We never expected and we never believed that the Italian Ambassador will renege like this, the bench had observed.
As senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Mancini and Republic of Italy. Rohatgi pressed on the issue of immunity after the order extending the March 14 direction was passed, a bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir reminded him again about the undertaking given by the Italian envoy.
The order barring the envoy from leaving the country was extended to April 2 when the case will again come up for hearing.
The court had said, The person who has come to this court as petitioner, we dont think he has any immunity.
