Fishermen arrest: Union Finance Minister speaks to Foreign Secy and Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka
The Hindu
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that she spoke with Union Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay on the urgent need to take up the arrest of 22 country boat fishermen from Pamban and Thangachimadam in Ramanathapuram district by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel with the Sri Lankan government on Saturday.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that she spoke with Union Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay on the urgent need to take up the arrest of 22 country boat fishermen from Pamban and Thangachimadam in Ramanathapuram district by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel with the Sri Lankan government on Saturday.
The Union Minister, who arrived here by road from Madurai to participate in the SVANidhi Outreach Program to be held at the Amrita Vidyalayam School here on Sunday, met a delegation of country boat fishermen.
After they submitted a memorandum seeking her intervention, the Finance Minister immediately spoke with the Union Foreign Secretary and also with the Indian High Commissioner (SL) to intervene and use the diplomatic channels and ensure that the fishermen were freed.
She told the delegation that as per the rules, the country boat fishermen cannot be held and assured all assistance by the Union government.
The Finance Minister also met fishermen leader P.Jesu Raja and family members of arrested fishermen from Thangachimadam. They had pleaded for the release of a fisherman Nambu Murugan from Sri Lankan prisons. He was directed to undergo a two-year jail term by a court in Sri Lanka a few days ago.
The Union Minister said that she would take it up with the Union External Affairs Minister and help them in this hour of crisis, Mr. Jesu Raja told The Hindu.
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