Chinese vessel permitted to dock, says Maldives
Male, Jan 23: A Chinese ship, equipped to carry research and surveys, will be docking at a Maldivian port after being permitted by the Male government to make a port call for replenishment.
While the Maldivian foreign ministry said the Chinese Research Vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3 will "not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters", sources in the Indian defence establishment said New Delhi is keeping a close watch on the movement of the ship.
The permission to allow the Chinese ship comes amid strains in ties between India and Maldives after its new President Mohamed Muizzu came to power and made Beijing as his first port of call early this month after assuming office. Traditionally, New Delhi has been the first port of call for a Maldivian President.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Maldivian Foreign Ministry said a diplomatic request was made by the Chinese government for the necessary clearances to make a port call, for rotation of personnel and replenishment.
The statement, however, said the Chinese Research Vessel Xiang Yang Hong 3, will "not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters".
Further, the statement said Maldives has always been a welcoming destination for "vessels of friendly countries," and continues to host both civilian and military vessels making port calls for peaceful purposes.
"Such port calls not only enhance bilateral ties between the Maldives and its partner countries, but also demonstrate the centuries-old tradition of the Maldivian people welcoming vessels from friendly countries," it said.
According to Marine Traffic, a private website keeping a watch on movement of ships, the eight-year-old Chinese ship is likely to dock at a Male port on February 8.
An American think-tank has alleged that a vast fleet of China's "scientific research" ships is collecting data from the oceans, including in the Indian Ocean, for military purposes, especially for submarine operations, a charge denied by Beijing which said the Chinese vessels operations are in line with the UN Convention on Law of the Seas.
On January 5, Sri Lanka, while denying entry to the Chinese ship, had said it has declared a moratorium on foreign research ships entering its waters for a year amid concerns from India over Chinese research vessels docking in its neighbourhood.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Niluka Kadurugamuwa had said the moratorium relates to all countries and will allow local researchers to build capacity on a par with their foreign counterparts in joint research.
The Maldives' proximity to India, barely 70 nautical miles from the island of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and 300 nautical miles from the mainland's western coast, and its location at the hub of commercial sea lanes running through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) gives it significant strategic importance.
The Maldives is India's key maritime neighbour in the IOR and occupies a special place in its initiatives like SAGAR' (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Neighbourhood First Policy' of the Narendra Modi government.
According to officials in New Delhi in the know of the developments in the island nation, the Maldivian president has signed undisclosed agreements with Turkey and China and possibly to help Beijing set up a base at an Island H.Dh Makunudhoo.
Though the President's office has denied having signed any such agreement, the opposition leaders in Maldives have been making allegations to this effect while demanding Muizzu to share details of the bilaterals signed with China.
The officials in New Delhi said Male was bringing back so-called reformed terrorists of ISIS from Syria without any rehabilitation plan in effect, thereby disturbing the security of the region.
The present Maldives government's 'shun-India' policy, according to the officials, goes beyond norms of humanity and highlighted recent incidents in which one person, lost in the sea, could not be traced because the Male authorities refused to carry out search operations despite requests from Indian authorities.
As recently as on January 20, a child from Gdh Thinadhoo died because they refused to evacuate him on a Donier plane sent from India.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
