India defence minister 'not bugged'

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
2 March 2012 Last updated at 11:57 GMT Officials have denied reports of bugs in AK Antony's office Defence officials in India have denied reports that Defence Minister AK Antony's office was bugged.

Earlier reports said authorities had discovered the security breach and that the intelligence bureau had been asked to hold an inquiry.

Ministry officials said they first came to know about the bugs on 16 February, Press Trust of India reported.

Last year, a similar incident was reported from the office of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Reports said adhesive-like substances were found in Mr Mukherjee's office, raising the suspicion that they might have been used to implant electronic listening devices.

The finance minister later said investigations had "found nothing" and urged the media not to waste time on "bogus things".

'Routine checks'

"Reports of 'bugging' in South Block [defence minister's office] in a section of the media is hereby denied," defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said in a statement.

"Routine checks are conducted in the offices of the minister and other officers in South Block. Nothing has been found in these checks," he added.

Earlier reports had quoted officials in the ministry saying that "audio transmitting devices" had been found in the minister's office.

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India minister in obscene gesture

22 February 2012 Last updated at 08:00 GMT Hundreds of thousands of tourists have visited Indian-administered Kashmir this winter A minister in Indian-administered Kashmir has made an obscene gesture to journalists after he was asked why shopkeepers in his constituency were fleecing tourists.

Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, who represents the tourist resort town of Gulmarg, waved his middle finger, reporters at the scene said.

Mr Mir told the BBC that he was joking with reporters at an informal chat.

Tourists had complained to reporters about overcharging at Gulmarg.

The incident took place at an official function at Magam, 25km (15 miles) north-east of Srinagar city.

'Joking'

A television journalist asked the minister why shopkeepers, who rent warm clothing and sunglasses to tourists in Gulmarg, were overcharging, the BBC's Riyaz Masroor in Srinagar says.

"What have you got to do with this [fleecing of tourists]? Let me see how your story affects me," Mr Mir said as he waved his middle finger, a reporter at the scene said.

Mr Mir told the BBC that he had "jokingly said that why should the poor shopkeepers be deprived of their daily earnings".

Hundreds of thousands of tourists, mostly Indians, have visited Indian-administered Kashmir this winter.

More than 20,000 people, including many shopkeepers, make a living from tourism in Gulmarg and Tangmarg alone, our correspondent says.

Tourists allege that they are charged hundreds of rupees a day to rent coats, snowshoes and sunglasses.

The region has been in the grip of an armed insurgency against Indian rule for more than two decades and thousands of people have been killed there.

But the region, claimed by both India and Pakistan, has recently seen a drop in violence and tourists have returned in large numbers in recent years.

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Italy minister in Delhi for talks

22 February 2012 Last updated at 05:46 GMT The two marines were detained on Sunday Italy's junior foreign minister is due to meet Indian officials in the capital, Delhi, amid a diplomatic row over the killing of two fishermen.

Staffan De Mistura will meet India's junior foreign minister Praneet Kaur later on Wednesday, officials say.

Two members of an Italian navy security team accused in the shooting of the fishermen have been taken into custody.

Italy says the fishing boat behaved aggressively and ignored warning shots fired from the Italian oil tanker.

They said they opened fire after mistaking the fishermen for pirates. India said the fishermen were unarmed.

The incident took place off the coast of the southern state of Kerala last Wednesday.

It has sparked a major diplomatic row between the two countries, with Indian police opening a murder inquiry into the deaths.

Indian Defence Minister AK Antony has described the killings as "very serious" and an "unfortunate incident".

'Coercive action'

Junior Foreign Minister Staffan De Mistura will "continue on a political level the action so far carried out by a delegation of experts from the Italian foreign, defence and justice ministries", the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

It said Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi will also visit Delhi next week to discuss the issue.

The foreign ministry also said that Indian police had taken "coercive" and "unilateral" action on Sunday when they escorted the two soldiers off the oil tanker where they were deployed as security guards and arrested them, news agency AFP reported.

The marines - identified as Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone - were detained on Sunday from the Italian ship Enrica Lexie and produced at the magistrate's court on Monday. They have been remanded in custody for two weeks.

The shooting incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries

A delegation of experts from Italy's foreign, defence and justice ministries has already visited Delhi to discuss the case with Indian officials, but the two sides have so far been unable to resolve their differences.

Italy insists that its personnel cannot be charged under Indian law. It says the marines have immunity as the tanker was flying an Italian flag and was in international waters when the incident happened.

But India wants the marines to be tried under local laws and has registered a case of murder against the men, who could face the death penalty or life imprisonment if they are found guilty.

The Enrica Lexie was on its way from Singapore to Egypt, with a crew of 34, including 19 Indians. The Italians say the crew members fired in self-defence - after initially firing warning shots - because they feared their vessel was about to be attacked.

Indian officials say they are surprised at the shooting, maintaining that the fishermen did nothing to threaten the Italian ship.

A senior official in Kerala, PG Thomas, said the attack was unwarranted as there were "no weapons on the trawler".

Indian officials said nine of the 11 fishermen in the trawler were asleep and the two victims were steering it when the incident happened.

Following the incident, the Indian coastguard sent two boats and an aircraft to intercept the ship which is now anchored off the port of Kochi.

The Kerala state government has authorised a payment of 500,000 rupees ($10,125; £6,450) each to the dead fishermen's families.

Piracy has emerged as a major threat to merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, with Somali pirates hijacking ships and their crews for ransom.

But there have been fewer attacks recently, partly because more armed guards are now deployed on board ships.

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