Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M K Stalin has appealed to the Indian Centre to take immediate action and ensure the release of 45 fishermen and 138 boats held by Sri Lanka.
The appeal came after the arrest of six Indian fishermen by the country's navy on December 13, which was the third such occurrence in a week.
In a letter addressed to Union External Affairs Minister, C Jaishankar, Stalin expressed his "deep sense of anguish" about the issue and urged the Centre to use appropriate diplomatic channels to resolve the fishermen's plight.
In addition to the detained 45 fishermen and 138 boats, 39 fishermen and 137 boats are also under Sri Lankan custody. Stalin said the Sri Lankan Navy's actions were undermining the traditional rights of local fishermen and impeding their livelihoods.
