India foreign secretary to take up fishermen deaths with Lanka
India is deputing its foreign secretary to Sri Lanka to discuss the issue of alleged killing of Indian fishermen by Lankan Navy, media reports said on Friday.
According to news channel NDTV, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is sending foreign secretary Nirupama Rao to Colombo on Saturday to take up the issue with the Lankan government.
Sri Lanka has earlier denied reports that the Indian fishermen were killed by its Navy, but the issue became an election fodder in Tamil Nadu with the AIADMK slamming the Prime Minister for “inaction”.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) chief J Jayalalitha said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should step down if he can?t stop Indian fishermen-shooting by Sri Lankan Navy.
“The Central government should act and issue a stern warning to Sri Lanka in such a manner that Lanka does not kill our fishermen again. The central government is weak and the Prime Minister has been ineffective in this issue. If he does not know what to do in such a situation he should step down,” said Jaya.
Earlier, she had hit out at her rival and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on the issue.
“Such attacks have become routine and this is mainly due to the fact that Indian Government had failed to issue a stern warning to Sri Lanka,” she said in a statement.
Two Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly killed by the navy of the neighbouring island nation within ten days, the latest instance being on Saturday night last.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, condemning the incident, said his ministry will take up the matter with Sri Lankan authorities.
?The killing of innocent fishermen is unacceptable,? he said.
DMK supremo Karunanidhi requested the Union minister and even the Prime Minister to pursue the matter with Lanka, though Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Captain Athula Senarth refuted the allegations.
?These allegations are baseless and without proof,? Senarth was quoted as stating in media reports from Sri Lanka.