Reiterating its stand on Katchatheevu, the Tamil Nadu Government strongly opposed the recent legislation passed by the Sri Lankan Government, which restricts certain fishing practices, and asserted that it would retrieve the ceded islet from the neighbouring island nation, The Hindu newspaper reported.
Responding to DMK MLA and former Minister K.P.P. Samy (Thiruvottiyur), who raised the issue during the debate on the demand for grants for the Fisheries department in the Assembly, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said, “We will not accept the legislation [passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament].”
The Minister listed the efforts made by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who opposed the legislation in his letter to the Prime Minister, and added that the State government would continue to oppose the legislation. “Retrieving Katchatheevu is the only solution to the problem. We will definitely retrieve Katchatheevu,” Mr. Jayakumar reiterated emphatically.
