Fishermen on 'Suvarna Tribhuja' died after collision with Indian Navy's ship: Pramod Madhwaraj
Former fisheries minister blamed BJP for playing politics over the issues and hiding truth
Udupi: Former Udupi MLA and Lok Sabha Candidate from Congress-JD(S) alliance from Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency, Pramod madhwaraj on Friday claimed that the fishermen onboard Tribhuja Suvarna were killed after a Indian Navy boat collided with it. He blamed the centre for the incident and for keeping the truth away from the people while calling for an high-level investigation led by retired Supreme Court Judge.
He made the claims while speaking to reporters at the Sai Radha Resort in Muloor during his visit to the resort to meet CM HD Kumaraswamy.
“I said the same thing earlier, I stand on my claims. Indian Navy’s vessel collided with the fishing boat and as a result of the collision the fishermen died. A detailed investigation should be conducted in this case” he said while blaming the BJP of playing politics over the missing fishermen.
“Four months back, a fishing boat that sailed into sea for fishing from Malpe disappears mysteriously. Four months after I said that Indian Navy’s INS Cochin vessel collided with the fishing boat, today my claims have come true as the Navy have now found its wreck” he added.
“No fishing boat can mysteriously disappear like Suvarna Tribhuja unless there is any cyclone or weather related issues. If there are any engine problem or technical snag, fishermen will have enough time to escape the situation with the help of life jackets and also to get in touch with authorities through mobile phone or wireless communication. But the mysterious disappearance and instant sinking of the boat proves that it collided with INS Cochin Navy ship” the former fisheries minister added.
He also stressed that the Navy should be held accountable and answerable for killing the seven fishermen of the state. “I being former fisheries minister and coming from a fishermen family demand for a judicial investigation into the matter. The investigation should be led by retired judge of Supreme Court” he demanded.
“If the Navy ship had hit the fishing boat, there was no need to keep the truth away from the people of the state and the family members of the fishermen. Now when the LS Polls in the state are done with, they have made the claims of finding the wrecks of the boat. BJP MLA reached to the family members of the fishermen and played politics over the issue by assuring them of help when they already knew the truth. I condemn such politics” Madhawraj told reporters.
“I have already spoken to G Shankar, Fishermen’s family, leaders of fishermen community and CM. At least 6 Lakh rupees will be sanctioned as a compensation to the families of bereaved fishermen. There are no hopes for the fishermen being alive now. So I have demanded for Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of all seven fishermen” he said.
Madhawaraj further noted that the CM has already discussed the issue with fisheries minister and action will be initiated in the regard (Compensation).
“This was a blunder done by Navy and BJP at the centre, but the BJP kept making fun of CM and District In-charge minister for political gains. Today they stand exposed”
“It was a mass killing of fishermen. I once again call for judicial investigation in this matter by a retired Supreme Court judge” he concluded.
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Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz if US lifts its blockade and the war ends: officials
Cairo (AP): Iran has offered to end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its blockade on the country and an end to the war, while proposing that discussions on the larger question of its nuclear programme would come in a later phase, two regional officials said Monday.
US President Donald Trump seems unlikely to accept the offer, which was passed to the Americans by Pakistan and would leave unresolved the disagreements that led the US and Israel to go to war on February 28.
With a fragile ceasefire in place, the US and Iran are locked in a standoff over the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas passes in peacetime. The US blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store the oil.
The strait's closure, meanwhile, has put pressure on Trump, as oil and gasoline prices have skyrocketed ahead of crucial midterm elections, and it has pressured his Gulf allies, which use the waterway to export their oil and gas.
The closure has also had far-reaching effects throughout the world economy, raising the price of fertilizer, food and other basic goods.
The proposal would push off negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons.
The two officials, who had knowledge of the proposal, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations between Iranian and Pakistani officials this weekend. The Axios news outlet first reported Iran's proposal.
It came as Iran's foreign minister visited Russia, which has long been a key backer of Tehran. It's unclear what, if any, assistance Moscow might offer now.
Strait of Hormuz remains blocked
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Iran's ability to choke off traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, has proved one of its biggest strategic advantages in a war that has often boiled down to which side can take more pain.
Oil prices have risen steadily since the war began and tankers full of crude became stranded in the Persian Gulf, unable to safely transit through the strait and reach global distribution points.
On Monday, the spot price of Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at around $108 per barrel, nearly 50 per cent higher than when the war began.
Iranian foreign minister holds talks as negotiations with US stall
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Trump last week indefinitely extended the ceasefire the US and Iran agreed to on April 7 that has largely halted fighting. But a permanent settlement remains elusive in the war that has killed thousands of people.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in St. Petersburg on Monday morning ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“It is a good opportunity for us to consult with our Russian friends about the developments that have occurred in relation to the war during this period and what is happening now,” Araghchi said in a video interview posted by IRNA.
It comes as Pakistan has been seeking to revive stalled talks between Iran and the US, and negotiations had been expected in Islamabad over the weekend. Instead, Trump called off a trip by his envoys and suggested the talks could take place by phone instead.
Over the weekend, Araghchi made two stops in Pakistan and a visit to Oman, which shares the strait with Iran. He also spoke by phone with counterparts in Qatar and Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Iran wants to persuade Oman to support a mechanism to collect tolls from vessels passing through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter.
Oman's response wasn't immediately clear.
The official, who is involved in mediation efforts, also said Iran insisted on ending the US blockade before new talks and that Pakistan-led mediators are trying to bridge significant gaps between the countries.
Trump says Iran has offered a much better proposal
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Trump told journalists Saturday that after he called off a trip by his envoys to Pakistan, Iran sent a “much better” proposal.
He did not elaborate but stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon”.
Iran insists its programme is peaceful, but the US wants to remove Tehran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which could be used to build a bomb, should Tehran choose to pursue one.
Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,509 people in Lebanon, where fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group resumed two days after the Iran war started. Another 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 US service members in the region and six UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have been killed.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been extended by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.
