TN Chief Minister K Palaniswami urges PM Modi's intervention for release of 6 fishermen held in Iran

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene for the release of six fishermen detained by Iranian authorities.

The fishermen were detained more than a month ago for allegedly violating maritime boundary.

Palaniswami wrote a letter to PM Modi explaining the situation and asked for the Centre's intervention. 

"They do not have access to basic amenities and their essential supplies have exhausted," he said in a letter.

"Further many of the detained fishermen's visas are also expiring in a couple of months. The prolonged incarceration of these poor fishermen, who went abroad for earning their livelihood, would severely affect the morale and survival of their families and dependents in India," he said.

The families were anxious and worried about their safety, he said.

Palaniswami urged the Centre to instruct the Indian Ambassador in Tehran to provide essential supplies to the fishermen immediately and to take legal measures to secure their immediate release.

The fishermen, who were operating from the fishing base of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, were apprehended and detained by the Iranian Coast Guard on September 1, he said.

(With PTI Inputs)