CM shoots off yet another letter to PM on fishermen
CHENNAI, PUDUKKOTTAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister ‘Edappadi’ K Palaniswami wrote yet another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday following the arrest of 49 fishermen in 12 fishing boats by the Srilankan navy.
“The attack on and apprehension of our fishermen en masse has come as rude shock at a time when the process of conversion of trawling boats to long-liners has been kick-started in your presence at Rameswaram recently,” the letter said.
The Chief Minister urged Modi to direct the Ministry of External Affairs to secure the immediate release of 64 fishermen and 125 boats, including the 49 fishermen and their 12 mechanised fishing boats apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday.
On Tuesday, 49 fishermen from Pudukkottai district were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy when they were fishing near Neduntheevu and charged with poaching.
The arrested fishermen and their boats were taken to Kangesanthurai port in Sri Lanka. Ironically, the fresh arrests come just five days after 77 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were released by the Sri Lankan government on August 3.