Why BJP took 5 years to realise Pawar's experience?: Shiv Sena
Mumbai: Days after Sharad Pawar revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered him to work together, the Shiv Sena wondered why the BJP took five years to realise the NCP chief's "utility and experience".
An editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Wednesday sought to know what benefit the BJP was trying to seek from the NCP, which the saffron party leaders earlier called as the "Naturally Corrupt Party".
It also said that had the NCP won less than "55 seats" in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the BJP would not have tried to make friendly overtures to Pawar's party.
All efforts of the BJP were only to restrict the Shiv Sena from coming to power. However, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray halted the BJP's plans to gain power, it said.
Thackeray took over as chief minister over a month after state Assembly poll results were declared on October 24. The Marathi publication also warned the BJP that if its foot slips again, it will fall. Pawar on Monday said Modi had proposed "working together", but he rejected the offer.
The NCP supremo said he made it clear to Modi that it won't be possible for him to work together with the PM.
Reacting to it, the Sena said, "We wonder why the BJP took five years to realise Pawar's utility and experience. Had the NCP won less that 55 seats in the Assembly polls, the BJP would not have tried to woo the party.
In the October 21 state polls, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, the NCP 54 and the Congress 44.
The Sena, which fought the elections in alliance with the BJP, however, later fell with its decades-old partner over the issue of sharing the chief minister's post.
The Marathi daily noted that Modi earlier called the NCP as "Naturally Corrupt Party" and before the Assembly polls, BJP president Amit Shah questioned Pawar's contribution towards the development of Maharashtra.
"If all that was true, then what kind of benefit was the BJP anticipating from NCP's experience?" the Sena asked.
After the Lok Sabha polls this year, the Enforcement Directorate initiated an inquiry into an alleged land deal between NCP leader Praful Patel and a terror suspect in Mumbai. An ED notice was sent to Pawar as well (before the Maharashtra Assembly polls), the Sena pointed out.
"It was the beginning of the BJP's corrupt practice to prepare a ground for government formation after the Assembly elections in Maharashtra. But, Pawar did not bow down to Delhi's pressure tactics," the Marathi daily said.
The ED in September filed a money laundering case against Pawar in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam.
"Like Pawar, industrialist Rahul Bajaj said in Amit Shah's presence that under the latter's regime, there is no freedom of speech and to live fearlessly," the Sena said.
All this happened in Maharashtra, as it has "more experience of living with courage than other states," it said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
