'Centre not doing anything about fishermen imprisoned in Pakistan, Lanka'

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked said the goverment led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not doing anything with regard to fishermen jailed in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Gandhi was addressing the first National Executive Committee meeting of the All India Fishermen Congress.

He said when the Congress returns to power at the Centre, an independent Fisheries Ministry will be set up under a Cabinet Minister.

Gandhi said the Congress would fight for the rights of fishermen in India.

"The union government is denying the rights of fishermen to live on their own land. They are facing serious difficulties in fishing due to arbitrary price hike of kerosene and diesel," the Congress chief said.

"The central government is not ready to interfere in the issues of fishermen imprisoned in Pakistan and Sri Lankan jails," he added.

He said Modi, who travels abroad frequently, has not raised imporatant issues concerning fishermen at international fora.

"Lots of fishermen are imprisoned in foreign jails due to inadvertently crossing the international borders in the high water. Modi is instead only taking up issues of the corporates and multi-millionaires," Gandhi added.

"The Congress will bring ordinary and poor fishermen to the frontline of the political mainstream," he said.

--IANS

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