BJP condemns killing of Indian fishermen

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI) Strongly condemning thekilling of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, the BJP todayaccused the Centre of adopting an "insensitive and casualattitude" on the issue.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari asked senior leader SushmaSwaraj to visit the bereaved families in Nagapattinam, TamilNadu.

"The BJP strongly condemns the killing of Indianfishermen by Sri Lankan naval forces. It is alarming to notethat more than five hundred fishermen have lost their lives tothe bullets of the Sri Lankan navy while fishing in thecoastal waters of Tamil Nadu," Gadkari said in a statement.

He also took on the M Karunanidhi government in TamilNadu and the Centre for not taking appropriate action.

"People of Tamil Nadu have expressed anguish over theinaction of the DMK-led government in the state and theinsensitive and casual attitude of the Congress-led UPAgovernment at the centre," Gadkari said, adding that the BJPwill raise this issue in and outside Parliament.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said that Gadkarihas asked Swaraj to visit Vedaranyam to meet the families ofthe two fishermen killed.

Swaraj said in a tweet that she will be visitingNagapattinam on February 4 to meet the families of fishermenwho were "tortured and killed".

While one fisherman was killed on January 12, anotherwas killed on January 22. The Sri Lankan Navy has denied thatit had killed the Indian fishermen.

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is visiting Sri Lankato take up this issue and prevent its recurrence.