The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O Panneerselvam wrote another letter to the prime minister, Narendra Modi, seeking the release of ten fishermen who were arrested by the Sri Lanka navy on Monday.
The renewed call for action comes just days after Sri Lanka agreed to release 51 fishermen who are currently detained.
“Unfortunately, even before the sense of relief following the release of the 51 fishermen could fully set in and the released fishermen reached our shores, the Sri Lankan navy has yet again resorted to its harsh and unjust tactic of apprehending Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu while peacefully pursuing their avocation in the traditional fishing waters of the Palk Bay,” Mr Paneerselvam wrote in his letter, reported PTI.
The Tamil Nadu government “is extremely concerned about the continuing frequent apprehension and detention of our fishermen,” he added.
“As you are aware, in 2016 itself 290 Tamil Nadu fishermen along with their 53 fishing boats were apprehended in 39 incidents. Subsequently, all 290 fishermen were released due to the unstinted efforts of our revered leader the late Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma [Jayalalithaa]."
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