Continuing attacks on Indian fishermen by SL Navy means PM Modi-led regime is 'weak': TN CM Stalin

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said the continued attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy shows the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "weak".

Chairing a fishermen's welfare conference here, he reiterated that retrieval of Katchatheevu, an island ceded to Sri Lanka through mutual agreements in 1974, was the permanent solution for the plaguing fishermen issue.

Stalin, the ruling DMK President, also said his father and late chief minister M Karunanidhi had provided a report that Katchatheevu belongs to India.

The Chief Minister's reference regarding the ceding of the island comes days after PM Modi said it was the Indira Gandhi government which gave the Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka in 1974.

Modi had also said the current DMK government in Tamil Nadu keeps writing to him urging him to retrieve the island.

Stalin further alleged that attacks on Indian fishermen from the state by the Lankan navy have increased during the current NDA regime.

The conference condemned the harassment of and attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy.

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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said panchayats are the pillars of the country's democratic system.

In a virtual address to the 2-day Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad, which got underway in Daman and Diu on Friday, PM Modi said the Zila Panchayat members should contribute to further development in the districts.

"Panchayats are the pillars of our democratic system. You (Zila Panchayat members) should work towards resolving the problems of the common man. You should work and contribute towards raising people's standards of living in your respective states," PM Modi said.

"You should put some thought into how students from your districts can top the 10th and 12th board examinations, win laurels in sports or make further strides in vaccination coverage," PM Modi added.

He said the BJP and the central government believe in the value of collectiveness and are working in that direction.

"We believe in organisation, values, and dedication and are moving forward in the spirit of collective responsibility. We are continuously enhancing our ability and skills to effectively discharge all responsibilities vested in us," PM Modi said.

Earlier, addressing the Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad, BJP national president JP Nadda commended PM Modi's efforts to bring a change in the political culture not just within the BJP but across the country.

"You (PM Modi) have changed the political culture within the party and in India. Today, our karyakartas are working with renewed vigour to ensure that even the people in the lower rungs of society could be uplifted," Nadda said. (Agencies)