India cannot be taken for granted: Sonia Gandhi - Times of India

NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday slammed Italy for reneging on its commitment to ensure the return of two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, calling it "outright unacceptable". "All means must be pursued to ensure the commitment made by the Italian government to our Supreme Court is honoured," she said, dubbing the "defiance of Italian government" and its "betrayal" of the apex court as "unacceptable". Sonia's first comment on the raging controversy sought to puncture the BJP campaign that the marines' escape was linked to her Italian origin - the saffron camp's favourite line of attack on her. 'India cannot be taken for granted' Sonia Gandhi told party MPs on Tuesday that "no country can, should or will be allowed to take India for granted". With the government and the apex court taking a strong position against Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini, who stood guarantee for the marines, Sonia's comment may have effectively buried the row that threatened to crystallize on partisan lines. The issue roused passions in Kerala but the Italian link made it politically combustible. BJP used it to revive its campaign against the Congress chief's "foreign origin". In Parliament, saffron leaders drew a link between Quattrocchi in Bofors, Choppergate bribe unearthed in Italy and the escape of the marines, dubbing the three as part of the design of the ruling camp. While an indignant Congress rebuffed the suggestions, the Centre's decision to adopt a tough stance seems to have defused the row. The issue was discussed at length at a meeting of the core group headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and comprising Sonia and key ministers last Friday. There was considerable annoyance that the controversy triggered by Italy's duplicity had the Congress face the brunt of public and political fury though it had no direct role to play in the episode. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGXuB85qAUfbXiiIuyuBx8pIh8Qqw&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-cannot-be-taken-for-granted-Sonia-Gandhi/articleshow/19083279.cms

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