VELLORE: Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) founder and leader Panrutti Velumurugan on Tuesday urged the Central government to form a strong foreign policy to protect the fishermen of the State from the Sri Lankan Navy.
He asked the Union government to also take military action against the navy of the island nation for killing hundreds of fishermen.
Talking to mediapersons after meeting the three life convicts—A G Perarivalan alias Arivu, V Sriharan alias Murugan and T Suthendraraja alias Shanthan—in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case lodged in the Vellore Central Prison, Velumurugan said, “We urge the new government at the Centre to have a strong foreign policy to protect our fishermen.”
Citing the murder case filed against two Italian Navy officers for gunning down Kerala fishermen, Velumurugan said, “No action had been taken against the Lankan Navy for killing and wounding fishermen from TN. “We demand the Centre to take strong action against the Lankan Navy akin to the action taken against Italian Navy officers,” he said.
Murder and attempt-to-murder cases should be filed against the Sri Lankan navy, he said, adding,” Our navy should counter-attack the Lankan navy to protect our fishermen.”
Dubbing the release of fishermen by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa ahead of his participation in the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi a clandestine act, he said by releasing the fishermen, Sri Lanka had tried to exhibit cordial relationships with the Indian. But the government should understand the ulterior motive of the island nation, he added.
On his meeting with Arivu, Shanthan and Murugan, Velumurugan said, the three strongly believe that the CM J Jayalalithaa would help them prove their innocence and earn their freedom. “They urged me to convey this message to the CM,” he said.
He said he would also urge the CM to send senior advocates to defend the Tamil Nadu cabinet decision to release the trio. “We hope that the BJP government will not repeat the act of former Congress government that had challenged the State government’s decision to release the trio, Velumurugan said.