Jt patrolling of IMBL will not help Indian fishermen: TN CM

Chennai, Mar 14 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today changed his stance on the joint patrolling of International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) by Indian and Sri Lankan navies, saying it would not help to protect the Indian fishermen from attacks of Sri Lankan navy.

Two days after welcoming Sri Lanka's reported proposal for a joint monitoring of IMBL, saying such a mechanism would ensure the safety of fishermen of the state, Mr Karunanidhi, answering a set of questions, said though it (joint patrolling) sounds good, it would only result in disadvantages.

To a question whether India accepted the proposal, he said it might sound nice if the Centre gave its nod, but it was widely felt that there would be more disadvantages than advantages of such joint patrolling.

''Many expressed concern that it should not be like a story of frog and rat coming together and tying their legs,'' he quipped.

The Joint patrolling proposal was conveyed to a DMK delegation on March 12, when it presented a memorandum to the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner here against the attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy.

Mr Karunanidhi, who had initially expressed the hope that such joint monitoring could provide necessary protection to the fishermen, denied reports in a section of the media yesterday that he had not agreed to the proposal and it was for the Centre to decide on the issue.

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