Italy marines case: Govt stand proves Modi cut deal with Italy, says Congress

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The Congress said the government’s stand has established Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an underhand deal with his Italian counterpart.

“The stance taken by the Modi government today is a great injustice to the family of the dead fishermen of Kerala. It reaffirms and establishes prima facie the allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut an underhand deal to malign the Congress leadership in lieu of letting the marines go scot free,” Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said.

“Modi had no objection even when he met the Italian Prime Minister. That is the deal. We have said it publicly. This is their kind of foreign policy,” former Law Minister Kapil Sibal said.

Surjewala said “the fishermen community and the common citizens of India are outraged by this insensitive and unjust decision of the Modi government.”

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The Congress had in the past alleged that the BJP-led government “deliberately” put up a weak defence in the Italian marines case at the International Arbitral Tribunal as part of a quid pro quo. It had earlier alleged that the government had entered into a “conspiracy” to “falsely accuse” the Congress leadership in the AgustaWestland chopper deal “in return for a weak defence” in the marines case.