As many as 55 activists of Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam (TPDK) were arrested here on Thursday when they attempted to picket the Customs Office on the Beach Road demanding an immediate release of five Tamil Nadu fishermen sentenced to death in Sri Lanka on charges of drug trafficking.
The activists led by Veeramohan, president of TPDK, took out a procession from the old distillery premises along with fishing nets and attempted to picket the Customs Office.
The agitators raised slogans against Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa for punishing innocent fishermen. Though the police had put up barricades near the Chief Secretariat the protesters tried to push through them. They were arrested by the police.
Meanwhile, the Federation for People’s Rights (FPR) has urged the Central Government to take up the matter with the Sri Lankan government and pave the way for their release.
G. Sugumaran, secretary of FPR, said that a probe conducted by the Tamil Nadu and the Centre had found the fishermen to be innocent.
The imposition of the death penalty by a Sri Lankan court on five innocent fishermen cannot be accepted since globally there is a strong protest against death penalty.
The Union Government should intervene and ensure their unconditional release, he said.
