Chief Minister K Palaniswami today thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his efforts to secure the release of 75 Tamil Nadu fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan jails.
In a letter to Modi, Palaniswami said he was happy to learn that "the Sri Lankan government had ordered the release of 42 fishing boats and 75 fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan jails."
"On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I thank you for your personal intervention and sincere efforts which have enabled the release of the fishermen and the boats", he said.
Palaniswami said on the day when Modi visited Rameswaram to inaugurate the memorial of late President A P J Abdul Kalam, the government received a communication from the External Affairs Ministry about the decision taken by Colombo.
"It is now widely reported in a section of media that the Sri Lankan courts have ordered the release of all 75 fishermen from Sri Lankan custody. I thank you for this prompt action", he said.
Palaniswami requested Modi to instruct the External Affairs Ministry to secure the release of the remaining 107 fishing boats, which continue to languish in Sri Lankan custody, to ensure there is "adequate reciprocity" to the measures taken by the Centre and Government of Tamil Nadu to resolve the "vexatious" issue.
He recalled the letters written to Modi by late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and himself previously in this regard.
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