Naval warship fired upon as it foils piracy attempts using hijacked vessel
An Indian Naval warship was fired upon as it intercepted the hijacked exMaltaflagged tanker, Ruen which was reported to have sailed out from Somalian waters and being used as a pirate ship for further acts of piracy on the high seas. The vessel was hijacked by Somali pirates on December 14.
“The vessel opened fire on the warship, which is taking actions in accordance with international law, in self defence and to counter piracy, with minimal force necessary to neutralise the pirates’ threat to shipping and seafarers. The pirates onboard the vessel have been called upon to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding against their will,” the Navy said on Saturday.
The officials said that Ruen is no longer “Maltese flagged”. It is in fact flying no flag, and is hence stateless and to be considered as “pirate ship ExRuen”. Actions against the vessel are accordingly as per international law against pirate and stateless vessels, and in self defence as the vessel has committed hostilities against Indian Navy, an official noted.
Then Maltaflagged tanker sent a Mayday message on December 14 indicating boarding by six unknown personnel. Following which, the Indian Navy had diverted its P8I long range maritime patrol aircraft undertaking surveillance in the area and its warship on antipiracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden to assist m.v. Ruen.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi continued his tirade against billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani during his visit to Dharavi, one of the largest slum clusters in the world, on Saturday.
He underscored the significance of Dharavi’s residents, affirming, “Desh dalal nahi, Dharavi ke log banate hai [the nation is shaped by the people of Dharavi, not by brokers].”
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by her brother on the final day, as it made its way through Dharavi before concluding at Dadar’s Chaityabhoomi, the memorial of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The 6,000kilometrelong yatra, which began from the conflictridden Manipur on January 14, entered Mumbai on Saturday after covering 110 districts in 16 States in 63 days. In its last leg, the yatra crossed into Maharashtra from Gujarat on March 12 and passed through Nandurbar, Dhule, Malegaon, Nashik, Palghar, and Thane before it reachinf the country’s financial capital.
Dharavi should be India’s manufacturing capital, he said and added, “It’s the talent capital of the country and your skills should be supported. The banks should give you loans. But, the dalal [Mr. Adani] is snatching your land, and the Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] is backing him. This land belongs to you.”
Dharavi is the true embodiment of Make in India and they are being looted roundtheclock by the current government, he stated. “The fight is between talent and dalal [Dharavi and Adani],” he said.
The slum, home to nearly 58,000 families, , will be redeveloped by the Adani Group after it won the tender in November 2022.
Accompanied by AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, State incharge Ramesh Chennithala, and Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad, the Wayanad MP lashed out at the Enforcement Directorate, terming it an “extortion directorate”.
On Sunday morning, Mr. Gandhi will undertake a‘ Nyay Sankalp Padyatra’ from Mani Bhavan to August Kranti Maidan. Later, Opposition leaders, including National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, his Jharkhand counterpart Champai Soren, RJD leader Akhilesh Yadav, would attend the public rally at Shivaji Park here.