- Tamil Nadu assembly passes resolution to reclaim Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka.
- Chief Minister Stalin urges PM Modi to address attacks on Tamil fishermen during Sri Lanka visit.
- Resolution calls for the release of imprisoned fishermen and their boats, citing ongoing issues.
The Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution on Wednesday asking the Indian government to get back the uninhabited Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka and review the 1974 agreement between India and Sri Lanka.
Chief Minister MK Stalin introduced the resolution, urging Prime Minister Modi to raise the issue of attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen during his visit to Sri Lanka from April 3-6. He also asked for efforts to reclaim Katchatheevu island.
The opposition parties, AIADMK and BJP, blamed the DMK for giving up the island when Congress was in power, but they still supported the resolution’s demand. The resolution said that getting Katchatheevu back is the best way to protect the fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen and stop the harm caused by the Sri Lankan Navy.
It also urged the Prime Minister to use diplomacy to get fishermen who are in Sri Lankan jails released, along with their boats. In 2024, 530 fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary, facing long prison sentences or heavy fines.
Stalin expressed concern about the cruelty faced by these fishermen, saying the Union government must act to protect them. He also pointed out that even after a change of government in Sri Lanka last year, the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen have continued. Stalin reminded the assembly that during his 2014 election campaign, Modi promised that no fisherman would be harmed under his leadership.
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