Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to secure the release of 34 fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan navy on Monday night. 

"I request you to immediately direct the concerned officials in the ministry of external affairs to contact their counterparts in Sri Lanka and ensure that the 34 fishermen arrested on October 26 are released forthwith along with the 86 fishermen who are due to be released on October 28," said Jayalalithaa in the letter. 

The chief minister also requested the Prime Minister to take up the issue of releasing 46 boats in Sri Lankan custody. 

"The arrest and detention of these fishermen who were peacefully engaged in fishing activities in their traditional fishing waters is unjustified," said the chief minister. 

"As you are aware, MPs from Tamil Nadu met external affairs minister on October 26 and presented letters written by me conveying the concerns of my government. I request you to immediately act on our long-pending demands for a sustainable solution to this vexatious issue," said Jayalalithaa. 

(Times of India)