Lankan Navy firing has no justification: India
New Delhi/Chennai: Reacting to Sri Lankan Navy shooting at Indian fishermen, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the firing has no justification and the matter has been taken up with the neighbouring government.
“We have received reports of the death of an Indian fisherman due to firing by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. Our High Commissioner in Colombo has immediately taken up this matter with the Sri Lankan Government and expressed our deep concern and regret at this incident,” said an official spokesperson of the MEA.
“We have emphasized that resort to firing in these situations has no justification and called on the Sri Lankan authorities to desist from use of force,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said: “The welfare and the safety of our fishermen in the waters between India and Sri Lanka have received very high priority by Government. We have consistently emphasized to the Sri Lankan Government to refrain from firing on our fishermen and scrupulously adhere to the October 2008 Understanding reached between the two governments.
“We call on the Sri Lankan Navy to exercise maximum restraint and avoid use of force in such situations.”
Meanwhile, taking a serious view of the firing that killed an Indian in coastal Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government on Thursday urged the Centre to act sternly against Colombo.
Tamil Nadu's Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin told the Legislative Assembly that Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had mailed a telegram to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi demanding strong action against the killing of a poor Tamil fisherman inside the Indian waters.
"Atrocities of Lankan navy are continuing unabated inspite of repeated assurances. This incident may be taken with Lankan Government for immediate action against those responsible for shooting and killing. Your personal intervention is requested for firm action to end such killing,” Karunanidhi reportedly wrote in his telegram.
On the other hand, DMK’s main rival party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has slammed it for not taking steps against ‘continuous killing’ of fishermen.
“Innocent fishermen are being continuously killed by Lankan Navy since the past four years. The DMK government has done nothing. After today’s incident, will the state government just stop with writing letters to the Centre or take any action?" asked an AIADMK spokesperson.
Panic struck the fishing community in coastal Tamil Nadu after the Sri Lanka Navy shot dead an Indian and injured another in the common sea waters close to Indian coastal area, police said on Thursday.
The Indian Coast Guard is investigating the firing incident.
The slain fisherman's body has been kept at a government hospital at Pudukottai for autopsy, where many members of the fishing community assembled venting ire over the incident.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for fisherman Pandian's family, based in Pudukottai.
Family sources told the investigating officials that the victims had gone for fishing inside the Indian territory in the Jadapattinam area.
New Delhi/Chennai: Reacting to Sri Lankan Navy shooting at Indian fishermen, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the firing has no justification and the matter has been taken up with the neighbouring government. “We have received reports of the death of an Indian fisherman due to...
New Delhi/Chennai: Reacting to Sri Lankan Navy shooting at Indian fishermen, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said the firing has no justification and the matter has been taken up with the neighbouring government.
“We have received reports of the death of an Indian fisherman due to firing by Sri Lankan Navy personnel. Our High Commissioner in Colombo has immediately taken up this matter with the Sri Lankan Government and expressed our deep concern and regret at this incident,” said an official spokesperson of the MEA.
“We have emphasized that resort to firing in these situations has no justification and called on the Sri Lankan authorities to desist from use of force,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said: “The welfare and the safety of our fishermen in the waters between India and Sri Lanka have received very high priority by Government. We have consistently emphasized to the Sri Lankan Government to refrain from firing on our fishermen and scrupulously adhere to the October 2008 Understanding reached between the two governments.
“We call on the Sri Lankan Navy to exercise maximum restraint and avoid use of force in such situations.”
Meanwhile, taking a serious view of the firing that killed an Indian in coastal Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government on Thursday urged the Centre to act sternly against Colombo.
Tamil Nadu's Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin told the Legislative Assembly that Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had mailed a telegram to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi demanding strong action against the killing of a poor Tamil fisherman inside the Indian waters.
"Atrocities of Lankan navy are continuing unabated inspite of repeated assurances. This incident may be taken with Lankan Government for immediate action against those responsible for shooting and killing. Your personal intervention is requested for firm action to end such killing,” Karunanidhi reportedly wrote in his telegram.
On the other hand, DMK’s main rival party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has slammed it for not taking steps against ‘continuous killing’ of fishermen.
“Innocent fishermen are being continuously killed by Lankan Navy since the past four years. The DMK government has done nothing. After today’s incident, will the state government just stop with writing letters to the Centre or take any action?" asked an AIADMK spokesperson.
Panic struck the fishing community in coastal Tamil Nadu after the Sri Lanka Navy shot dead an Indian and injured another in the common sea waters close to Indian coastal area, police said on Thursday.
The Indian Coast Guard is investigating the firing incident.
The slain fisherman's body has been kept at a government hospital at Pudukottai for autopsy, where many members of the fishing community assembled venting ire over the incident.
The Tamil Nadu government has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for fisherman Pandian's family, based in Pudukottai.
Family sources told the investigating officials that the victims had gone for fishing inside the Indian territory in the Jadapattinam area.
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