The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 11 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for alleged maritime violation, and Chief Minister MK Stalin flagged the matter with the Centre on Saturday, seeking immediate steps for their release.
One boat was also taken into custody.
In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Mr Stalin said, "I am writing to you with grave concern regarding yet another incident of apprehension of fishermen from Tamil Nadu." The fishermen were apprehended while fishing southeast of Kodiakarai in Nagapattinam district, he said.
"I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are occurring at an alarming frequency. In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishing community in Tamil Nadu continues to face immense hardships due to the recurrent arrests, which severely affect their means of subsistence," he said.
Further, in the past two weeks, there have been a couple of instances of attacks on fishermen at sea by unidentified persons from Sri Lanka, and this issue needs to be addressed immediately, the Chief Minister added.
"Therefore, I urge you to initiate immediate and concrete diplomatic efforts to secure the expeditious release of all our fishermen and their fishing boats," Mr Stalin told Mr Jaishankar.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
"Roar For Tamil Nadu's Rights In Parliament": MK Stalin To DMK MPs LIC Blames "Technical Problem" As Tamil Nadu Protests Website's Switch To Hindi "New Parties Want To Eliminate DMK": MK Stalin's Warning Over Actor Vijay Election Results 2024 LIVE Updates: Maharashtra Battle To Decide Real NCP, Sena Jharkhand Election Results: After Trailing Initially, INDIA Makes A Comeback Election Results LIVE: NDA Wins 17 Seats In Maharashtra, Trails In Jharkhand Canada To 'Abide' By ICC Arrest Warrant Against Netanyahu Bigg Boss Fame Ajaz Khan Gets Just 131 Votes In Maharashtra Assembly Polls NATO Chief Discusses 'Global Security' With Donald Trump Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.