Sri Lanka arrests 12 Indian fishermen, TN CM Stalin demands steps for immediate release

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin wrote to Union minister S.Jaishankar on Monday demanding him to take immediate measures for the release of 12 fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy.

In his letter, Stalin wrote that 12 innocent fishermen, seven from Tamil Nadu and five from Puducherry, were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy along with a fishing boat. He added that the fishermen had resumed fishing only recently after annual ban of 61 days. Stalin said that the arrest would intimidate fisherfolk of Tamil Nadu and is also likely to create a sense of insecurity and fear in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.

Stalin requested Jaishankar to take up the matter through appropriate diplomatic channels to secure their release.

The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday arrested 12 Indian fishermen for allegedly poaching into the country's territorial waters. The fishermen were arrested near Point Pedro on Sunday evening.