Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has said that use of force on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Coast Guard could have been avoided, if its personnel had shown better restraint.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Palaniswami urged him to immediately intervene in the matter and advice the Ministry of Defence to avoid such incidents in future.
He said Coast Guard ship ICGS Rani Abbakka had “asked the fishermen to stop their boat for inspection and fired at the fishing vessel.”
The Chief Minister also referred to allegation of the fishermen that the Coast Guard manhandled them and “hit them with sticks and iron rods causing injuries.”
“This unfortunate incident has created panic and a feeling of insecurity among the fishermen of Tamil Nadu,” the Chief Minister observed.
Already, fishermen in the State are feeling insecure owing to the “prolonged incarceration” of fishermen from Tamil Nadu and impounding of their boats by the Sri Lankan government, he added.