Fishermen's arrest: DMK slams Jayalalithaa govt for not pressurising Centre

Chennai: DMK Tuesday criticised the Jayalalitha government, alleging that it was not exerting pressure on the Centre to find a proper solution to the issue of fishermen's arrest.

"When compared to India, Sri Lanka is a small country. Should not the big country India put an end to the atrocities of the Sri Lankan navy. Where there is a will, there is a way," DMK President M Karunanidhi said.

Hitting out at Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for taking up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through letters, he asked if that was enough and whether such an approach had redressed the problems of fishermen.

"Should not the Chief Minister or senior ministers or the minister concerned take up the matter in Delhi (with the Centre)," he asked in a statement.

Karunanidhi said that AIADMK had 37 Lok Sabha MPs, its help was "required" by the BJP government (in Parliament) and AIADMK could have "exerted pressure" on the Centre for fishermen's welfare.

"How much the AIADMK government is protecting fishermen through letters," he said.

Citing the latest incident of the arrest of 28 fishermen, the DMK chief said "the Centre should make "genuine efforts" and intervene in the issue immediately.