DMK stages walkout from Lok Sabha over Sri Lanka fishermen issue

On Saturday, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party of India exited the Lok Sabha session following the rejection of their adjournment motion by the Speaker, which sought to address the arrest of 88 fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

DMK MP T.R. Baalu expressed his disappointment to reporters, stating, “We intended to bring up the issue through an adjournment motion today on behalf of the DMK. The Speaker’s refusal to allow it prompted our walkout.”

He further criticized the response to the situation, mentioning, “To date, none of the fishermen have been released. These individuals were merely fishing within our territorial waters. The Sri Lankan Navy’s actions are excessively harsh, while the Indian Government’s response remains tepid.”

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, has reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging his intervention to facilitate the release of the detained fishermen, who were allegedly apprehended for encroaching into Sri Lankan waters. In his communication, Stalin highlighted the arrest of 88 Indian fishermen and the confiscation of 12 boats by Sri Lankan forces over the last 28 days.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha’s agenda for Saturday included discussions on the construction of the Ram Temple and the installation of Lord Ram’s idol, as per rule 193.