CHENNAI/ RAMANATHAPURAM: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday clarified that the bullets that were fired at Tamil Nadu fishermen on Monday were not from the Coast Guard (CG) personnel and that an enquiry in this regard was on to find the truth.
“The Coast Guard chief informed me that they did not have the type of bullets that were allegedly fired at Tamil Nadu fishermen. I spoke to Coast Guard authorities and those in the State soon after the incident,” the Union minister said. She said if something went wrong, definitely those who had committed it should be punished. But making accusations without an enquiry was not acceptable.
“No such bullet is available with the CG. At the same time, what the fishermen had said (that they were attacked) was true. It is good for all of us to come to a conclusion after a thorough enquiry,” she said and added that she had understood the travails of the fishermen.
Meanwhile, taking exception to the remark of the Union Minister, DMK working president M K Stalin said the view of Nirmala Sitharaman would only hurt the sentiments of the fishermen.
Fishermen flay minister’s statement
Tamil Nadu-Puducherry Mechanised Boats Fishermen’s Association condemned Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman statement that Indian Coast Guard did not open fire on Tamil Nadu fishermen. Taking a dig at the Defence Minister, general secretary of the association N J Bose asked, “If not the coast guard, who fired at the fishermen?”