CHENNAI: Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure immediate release of 22 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, including the seven arrested earlier in the day, and the 109 fishing boats that were in Sri Lankan custody for a long time.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, sought his personal intervention into the issue and to direct the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with the Lankan authorities to secure the release of fishermen and boats at the earliest.
Expressing serious concern over the arrest of seven more fishermen in two mechanised boats from Kottaipattinam fishing base of Pudukottai district, Panneerselvam said it was unfortunate that the apprehension of fishermen of Tamil Nadu by Lankan Navy had been continuing unabated despite Indo-Sri Lankan fishermen level talks and Inter-Ministerial talks being held from time to time.
He also pointed out that the right to life and livelihood of fishermen of the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, who carry on fishing in the traditional waters of the Palk Bay was being continuously infringed upon by the Lankan Navy’s recurrent actions of apprehension, attack and harassment of innocent fishermen.