NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar flagging the arrest of 37 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and urged him to take up the matter with the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the early release of the fishermen and their boats.In the letter, Rahul Gandhi said, “recurring incidents of small and marginal Indian fisherfolk being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities and the unjust seizure of assets and imposition of hefty fines by them warrants strict condemnation”.Referring to the arrest of 37 Tamil fishermen and the seizure of their boats by Sri Lankan authorities on September 21, he said, “R Sudha, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Mayiladuthurai Parliamentary Constituency informed me that the arrested persons are small-scale fisherfolk operating close to the coast, and that on the day of the incident they had attempted to rescue a Sri Lankan boat in distress.”Despite contacting Sri Lankan authorities for assistance with the rescue, the fishermen were arrested on the grounds of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line, said the Congress leader.The fishing boats seized were community property purchased through pooled resources, he added.
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