As the diplomatic row between India and Italy escalated over the fishermen firing incident, New Delhi maintained that since it was a legal matter now, the law of the land will have to take its own course.
Italy has planned to send a top official for discussions on Wednesday in New Delhi. Announcing the visit, the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement in Rome, Junior Foreign Minister Staffan De Mistura will “continue on a political level the action so far carried out by a delegation of experts from the Italian Foreign, Defence and Justice Ministries.”
Even though Italy is rushing its top diplomats and experts over the issue of arrest of Italian Naval guards, New Delhi has made it clear that since the matter was now legal, the Government will go by its legal process only, maintaining that there are “differences of opinion” on procedures and process.
Government sources said, “We have made it very clear to them (Italy) that as representatives of India, we will go by our legal process.”
New Delhi has protested against the killing of unarmed men asking the suspects to face legal action in Indian courts.
Referring to the telephonic conversation between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries and subsequent visit by an Italian delegation comprising officials from their legal and Foreign Ministries, the sources said India was willing to engage and put across its legal process to them.
Observing that the incident was at the stage of investigation, the sources said if the prosecution felt that it should go to the court, Italy is free to present any issue of judicial nature through their legal counsel.
“As regards press reports on the coercive operations carried out by Indian police forces against the crew of the Italian ship, we confirm that these were unilateral acts, as we have already indicated in a communiqué published on 19 February,” the press statement said.
Terming the incident as “a specific incident of suez” nature, they said it is an incident which, perhaps, has never happened before in the relationship between the two countries.
“We are trying to come to grips with it and see how we can move about it,” they said, adding India has given the Counsellor access.
Sources also said Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi will visit India “personally” next week on Tuesday. However, they maintained it is a scheduled visit.
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