Sushma Swaraj slams Centre over fishermen killings

Chennai, Feb 4 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj lashed out at the Central Government over the recent killings of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

"Somewhere there is a failure, because a joint working group is already constituted between Sri Lanka and India. But it is completely non-functional. Now they are saying they will make it more active. They should have made it more active earlier. So these incidents might not have occurred," Swaraj told reporters here.

A fisherman was killed on January 22 after the Sri Lankan Navy fired at him, after his trawler allegedly entered into the territorial waters of the island nation.

New Delhi has condemned the killings and has taken up the matter with Colombo.

Similar incidents were reported last year when fishermen complained that the Sri Lankan Navy was attacking them at sea when they accidentally sailed inside Sri Lankan territorial waters.

Meanwhile, reflecting on the upcoming budget session of the Parliament, Swaraj said the BJP would frame its plan of action based on the decision of the ruling government to setup a JPC probe the 2G telecom scam.

"The strategy for the budget session will be decided on the eve of the budget session. All the NDA partners will sit. First we are having an all party meeting on February 8. Our demand for a JPC, if conceded by the government, that very day we can decide. If they do not concede our demand we will again sit amongst NDA partners on the eve of the budget session and then we will decide our strategy," she added.

The upcoming budget session in February is set to be stormy, with opposition parties refusing to relent over the demand of a JPC probe into the 2G scam.(ANI)