CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) State President Selvaperunthagai on Tuesday strongly condemned the arrest of 12 fishermen from the Rameswaram Pamban region and the seizure of their mechanised fishing boats by the Sri Lankan Navy, describing the incident as "shocking and painful."
In a statement, he pointed out that just last week, 22 fishermen were arrested and four boats were confiscated. He said the continued arrests, especially ahead of the annual festival at St Antony's Church in Katchatheevu, have disrupted goodwill between the two countries and caused deep distress among fishing communities.
Selvaperunthagai noted that, as of now, 116 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and 259 fishing boats remain in Sri Lankan custody. Despite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin writing multiple letters lto External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking intervention, the detained fishermen and seized boats have not yet been released, he said.
He accused the Union BJP government of adopting a "lackadaisical approach" towards the Tamil Nadu fishermen's issue, alleging that repeated arrests and boat seizures have become a continuing saga.
On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress, he strongly condemned what he termed the Centre's anti-fishermen stance and warned that if immediate diplomatic steps are not taken to secure the release of the arrested fishermen and their boats, the Union government would have to face serious consequences.
On February 23, CM Stalin had written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging the Union government to intervene and facilitate the release of 12 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on February 22.
He had noted that their mechanised boat was also seized, taking the tally of boats seized to 259.