Can’t India prevent attacks on fishermen, asks Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI - Opposition AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa Sunday said the central government was not doing enough to stop attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, as incidents were continuing even after last week’s killing.

“Even before calming down of the situation after the killing of a fisherman (Jan 12), the Sri Lankan Navy had confiscated the Indian fishermen’s catch, phones and threw their fishing nets into the sea,” Jayalalithaa said in a statement here.

“If one looks at these, it seems whether India lacks the capacity to prevent the unwarranted attacks on its fishermen,” she added.

Sri Lanka has denied that its navy had fired on three Indian fishermen that led to the death of one of them even as the Indian government has protested strongly against the incident and asked Colombo to avoid the use of force.

But coming down heavily on Tamil Nadu and the central governments, Jayalalithaa said the Indian government is remaining silent instead of taking action to calm the situation.

The former Tamil Nadu chief minister said the Indian fishermen have the right to dry their nets in Katchatheevu island according to an agreement signed between India and Sri Lanka in 1974.

The Sri Lankan Navy contravening the agreement and persisting with its attack on the Indian fishermen is an unforgivable offence, she added.