Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ignoring Tamil Nadu's demand on resolving the fishermen issue and claimed the PM did not seem to have taken up Katchatheevu retrieval with Sri Lanka during his recent visit there. Nor has Modi initiated measures to have the Tamil Nadu fishermen and their fishing boats released, Stalin said in the Assembly. "This only shows that Tamil Nadu's demand for retrieving Katchatheevu has been ignored. It does not appear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who went to Sri Lanka, raised the fishermen's release, too," Stalin said, making a statement in the House. "This is regrettable and disappointing," he added. Although the Centre has 'let down' the fishermen, his government would continue to strive for their welfare, he said and announced a slew of schemes including a fishing harbour at Thangachimadam, in Rameswaram. Last week, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had adopted a resolution urging Centre to retrieve Katchatheevu islet, ceded by India to Sri Lanka by way of agreements in 1974 and 1976 , as a permanent solution to protect the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen. The House had also urged the Prime Minister to hold talks with the Sri Lankan Government to get all the imprisoned fishermen from the state released along with their boats on a goodwill basis, during his official visit to the island republic.
