Narayanasamy urges PM to avoid Lanka visit

9 March 2015 04:00 am

Former Union Minster V Narayanasamy has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cancel his proposed visit to Sri Lanka and condemned Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement that the Indian fishermen trespassing into Lankan waters should be shot down.

In a statement here on Sunday, he took strong exception to Wickremesinghe’s comments and said that just because the Modi government sought to reap a good relationship with the neighbouring countries, the tiny island nation was threatening a mighty and strong India, due to the ‘timid attitude’ of the Modi government.

He demanded that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj return to India immediately and register condemnation of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.

Although the arrest of Indian fishermen continued unabated and at present, 285 Indian fishermen and 87 boats are under the Sri Lankan custody, the former Union Minster said that a red carpet welcome was accorded to former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on his visit to India, when Modi government assumed power.

Narayanasamy said the arrest and seizure of the boats were continuing even after Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena assumed power and stated that Modi-Sirisena talks also would not give positive results in this regard.

The former Union Minster said it was natural for the fisherman of both the countries to cross their respective sea limits, since the maritime boundary is not demarcated.

Claiming that the previous Congress government at the Centre took immediate steps to secure the release of the arrested fishermen, Narayanasamy wanted the Parliament to condemn the Sri Lankan Prime Minister for his remark and pledge support to the Indian fishermen. (Express News Service)