Jaya urges PM to summon SL High Commissioner to convey protest

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to summon Sri Lankan High Commissioner and convey India`s strong protest on the arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy.

In a letter to Singh, she said five fishermen from Nagapattinam were attacked by Sri Lankan Navy on July 30 on the high seas with pipes and sickles. Another 36 fishermen, also from Nagapattinam, were arrested by the navy on July 31. "I am pained to note that such incidents of unlawful abduction and arrest of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy go on unabated and are occurring with alarming frequency", she said. Her letter to Singh comes a day after she had slammed the Centre for not taking any "concerted efforts" to secure the release of arrested Tamil Nadu fishermen. Due to the "lack of response" from Government of India, the Sri Lankan Navy was acting with "impunity" and was carrying out "unprovoked" and "illegal" acts of abduction and detention of innocent fishermen from Tamil Nadu, she said in her letter. "It is disappointing that the Government of India has failed to take any concerted steps to convey to the Government of Sri Lanka through the highest diplomatic channels our strong protest and sense of outrage at these continuing incidents of attack and illegal abduction of fishermen of Tamil Nadu on the high seas by the Sri Lankan Navy", Jayalalithaa said. PTI