Chennai: The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 20 Tamil fishermen since last night when they were fishing near international maritime boundary line.
Apart from 20 fishermen, the Lankan Navy also detained four fishing boats.
There is tension in the fishermen hamlets of Nagapattinam and Rameswaram. The local fishermen want their fellow fishermen to be released before Pongal festival next week.
Local Tamil fishermen are urging the Centre and the state government to ensure the immediate release of more than 90 fellow fishermen lodged in Lankan jail.
The Tamil fishermen say that Sri Lanka has detained more than 70 fishing boats as deterrent measure.
This has affected the livelihood of fishermen badly. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalaithaa had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the matter of freeing 84 Tamil fishermen languishing in Lankan jail. (ANI)