Jayalalithaa attacks PM on fishermen killings

AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa today termed Dr Manmohan Singh a weak Prime Minister and said he should resign if he cannot protect Indian fishermen from being killed by the Sri Lankan Navy.

AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday termed Dr Manmohan Singh a weak Prime Minister and said he should resign if he cannot protect Indian fishermen from being killed by the Sri Lankan Navy.

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"India is said to have one of the largest army, navy and air force in Asia. Despite this, a small country like Sri Lanka is daring to kill Indian fishermen. The central government is weak. The Prime Minister is weak," she said.

"The Prime Minister should resign if he does not know how to protect Indian fishermen," Jayalalithaa told reporters in Pushpavanam village near Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district.

The AIADMK leader visited the coastal village to offer condolences to the widow of N Jayakumar, a fishermen and party cadre who was reportedly killed by the Sri Lankan Navy recently.

Embracing the sobbing widow holding her baby girl, Jayalalithaa said, "The party will take care of the education of the two girls. I know your loss cannot be compensated. But it is the party's duty to provide you with some relief."

According to Jayalalithaa, the transfer of Katchatheevu, a small island in the Palk Strait, to Sri Lanka in 1974 is not legally valid as the transfer has not been ratified by the Indian Parliament.

"I have filed a case in the Supreme Court and it is pending," she said.