Indian laws binding on Italian marines: Ravi

KOCHI: Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Thursday said the case against the Italian marines who shot dead two fishermen off the Kerala coast would proceed according to Indian laws.He was reacting to reports that the European Union was taking steps to help free the Italian sailors held in the Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail. “India has already made its stand clear on the issue. There is no compromise on the issue,” Ravi told reporters here.Piravom BypollThe Piravom bypoll is not going to be a referendum on the present UDF government, Ravi said. When asked about the statements of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala that the election would be a referendum on the nine-month-old UDF government, Ravi said he did not think so. “Piravom had always been with the UDF and the constituency is a stronghold of the Congress and I am confident of a big win there,” he said.However, he noted that the election was crucial as there was only a slender majority for the ruling coalition.Ravi alleged that the Left was trying to take advantage of the Church feud. “The CPM is trying to create problems by interfering in the issues of the Church,” he said.