Former AIADMK leader and ex-Minister D Jayakumar has raised concerns over the safety of Tamil Nadu fishermen, alleging that the state government has failed to exert political pressure on the central government to protect them from frequent attacks by the Navy of a neighboring country. He also accused the ruling party’s functionaries, from ministers to ward councilors, of mistreating public and government officials.
The safety of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen has been a recurring issue, with incidents of attacks on them and seizures of their boats and belongings in international maritime boundaries. Such attacks have become disturbingly common in recent times, but Jayakumar expressed disappointment in the Tamil Nadu government’s efforts to address the issue and advocate for the fishermen’s protection.
During his visit to special camps established in designated polling stations for voter list management in Royapuram, the former Fisheries Minister criticized the government for not taking more concrete actions to safeguard the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen. He questioned why the Chief Minister had not taken stronger measures to ensure the safety of fishermen and directly engaged with the Prime Minister on the matter, rather than sending a delegation led by MP T R Baalu to meet the Union Minister.