Don't treat maritime boundary with Sri Lanka as settled question: Jaya to PM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa sought the prime minister's intervention for the release of 21 Tamil fishermen

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday said that the Centre should not treat the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) with Sri Lanka as a "settled question" as it had been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Stating this in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she sought his intervention for the release of 21 Tamil Nadu fishermen detained along with their boats by Sri Lankan Navy last week, the latest in continuing mid-sea arrests.

"Once again, I reiterate the government of Tamil Nadu's stand that the Government of India should not treat the IMBL with Sri Lanka as a settled question ... As the constitutionality of the 1974 and 1976 agreements have been challenged on extremely valid and legal grounds" in the Supreme Court, she said.

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She urged Modi to take immediate action in securing the release of all 55 fishermen and 91 fishing boats in Lankan custody.

She said the "prolonged" detention and "disuse" of the boats would have damaged them, causing immeasurable loss of livelihood to the poor fishermen.