Decision on alliance for civic polls to be taken at local level: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said decisions regarding tie-ups with the BJP's allies for the coming civic elections would be taken at the local level.
Speaking to reporters after a review meeting with party leaders here, Fadnavis said, "We held a review meeting for Western Maharashtra, and will hold another meeting for Konkan region in Mumbai. We discussed the party's strength in the last civic body elections and the current position.
" For an alliance with the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, we are discussing the matter with local leaders. Directions for the next steps will be given only after receiving inputs from our party units," he added.
Wherever possible, the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP would form an alliance before the elections, he said.
"There could be a few seats where an alliance cannot be formed, but there will not be any extreme criticism of our allies (during the campaign). Clear directives to this effect have been given," Fadnavis said.
A similar review meeting was recently held in Nashik for north Maharashtra.
On the issue of new entrants ahead of the local body polls, Fadnavis said, "If a strong worker wishes to join the BJP, our stand is to welcome such a person. Our existing workers are accommodative, which is why the BJP has grown into such a large organisation. In some instances, local leaders get upset, but we try to convince them, and they do listen to us."
On BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar's harsh criticism of NCP (SP) leader and former minister Jayant Patil, Fadnavis said, "We are against making personal remarks. We have conveyed this to Padalkar as well. Minister Chandrakant Patil has taken the initiative to end personal mud-slinging."
Asked about the financial aid for rain-affected farmers in Marathwada, Fadnavis said, "Some people have already received the cash component of the package announced for farmers. We are taking steps to ensure that most of the affected people receive financial assistance before Diwali. Some may receive it later."
When asked about the formation of a new working committee under the new state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan, Fadnavis said there were no obstacles in the process. "It could be finalised and announced in the next 8 to 10 days," he said.
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Maldivian military diver dead while searching for bodies of four Italian divers
Colombo (AP): A Maldivian military diver died Saturday while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave.
The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said that Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.
“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.
The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home. His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.
The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti's body was recovered on Thursday.
Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said in a statement Friday. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately,” it said.
The statement also said the two other victims — student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri — were not involved in the scientific mission.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.
Experts say it's easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti's body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe. Italy's embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honourary consul are in contact with the victims' families to provide assistance.
