Jayalalithaa expresses shock over Centre's counter affidavit on Kachchatheevu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2014, 20:33 GMT]
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms Jayalalithaa registered her disapproval over a counter affidavit filed by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in the Madras High Court that stated that Tamil Nadu fishermen have no traditional fishing rights in the islet of Katchatheevu. In a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, the Chief Minister questioned whether this affidavit had been prepared by the earlier UPA regime, and further reiterated her demand for the retrieval of Katchatheevu.

"The unconstitutional ceding of the island and the fishing grounds in the vicinity have emboldened the Sri Lankan Navy to resort to frequent attacks on our innocent fishermen who fish in their traditional fishing grounds," Jayalalithaa said.

The affidavit filed by New Delhi was in response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by Fisherman Care, a Tamil Nadu organisation, demanding the retrieval of the islet.

The counter affidavit of the Indian Centre stated that the Indo-Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) was ‘permanent’ and that Katchatheevu belonged to ‘Sri Lanka’.

In her letter to Modi, Ms Jayalalithaa urged the Indian Central Government to file an "appropriately revised affidavit" in the Court.

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