NDA candidates booked after Sri Lankan diplomat joins fishermen interaction in Puducherry

April 10 (Daily Mirror) - A case has been registered against two Indian National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates in India’s Puducherry based on a complaint by the Returning Officer, following allegations of violating the election code of conduct during a fishermen’s meeting attended by Sri Lanka’s Deputy Consul General for South India, Ganesanathan Ketheeswaran.

According to India Today, the complaint led to police action against V. P. Ramalingam of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jose Charles Martin of the Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK). The case has been registered at the Muthialpet Police Station. Ramalingam, who is also the BJP’s Puducherry unit president and a candidate from the Raj Bhavan constituency, was present at the event.

“On March 29, an event was held at a location where fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry participated. Jose Charles Martin and Ramalingam were present at the event. However, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Consul General, who is a political appointee and not a career diplomat, was also in attendance. The discussion reportedly focused on issues faced by fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and included speeches and deliberations on possible solutions,” the India Today reported.

“The Returning Officer took note of this, stating that it could be seen as an attempt to influence voters. As a result, he filed a complaint requesting the police to take appropriate action. He has also called for a detailed investigation into the matter,” India Today report added.

Indian opposition, the All Indian Congress last week complained that Sri Lankan Deputy Ambassador Ketheeswaran’s presence at the event is a gross violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states that foreign diplomats “have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State.” 

Both India and Sri Lanka are signatories to this Convention.