State BJP leaders have urged Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry Pratap Chandra Sarangi to take up with the Ministry concerned the issue of early release of the 15 poor fishermen from Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, who have been languishing in Pakistan jail since November 2018.
Mr. Sarangi was here on Wednesday to address the Jana Jagarana Sabha organised as part of the National Unity Campaign taken up to create awareness on the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a memorandum submitted to Mr. Sarangi, BJP State secretary Paidi Venugopalam and Etcherla in-charge N. Eswara Rao said the 15 fishermen, who had migrated to Gujarat in search of livelihood, were arrested by the Pakistan Coast Guard on November 28, 2018, on the charge for violating the international maritime rules and regulations.
The family members of the fishermen urged Mr. Sarangi to bring the issue to the notice of the Pakistan High Commission and the Ministry of External Affairs so that their whereabouts could be known.
Stating that many fishermen were facing such problems on the west coast, the Union Minister said he would bring the issue to the notice of the officials concerned.
Earlier, addressing the National Unity Campaign, Mr. Sarangi said the people of the country had wholeheartedly hailed the abrogation of the Articles that gave special status to J&K. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken the right step to achieve ‘One Nation, One Constitution’ in the country, the Union Minister urged people to lend their support to Mr. Modi and help him take several such bold steps. Former MP K. Haribabu and Vizianagaram MP B. Chandra Sekhar spoke.
Later in the evening, Mr. Sarangi told the party leaders that the leadership was keen on strengthening the party in the southern States, particularly in Andhra Pradesh.
