Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday over the death sentence handed out to five Indian fishermen which has sparked protests in their home state of Tamil Nadu.
The five – Emerson, P Augustus, R Wilson, K Prasath and J Langlet – were sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court on October 30 on charges of drug trafficking.
“The talks were centred around the five Indian fishermen’s issue but as of now I don’t know any other details,” Lankan Presidential Spokesperson Mohan Samaranayake told NDTV.
Political parties in the state including MDMK – an ally of the ruling NDA at the Centre – have accused the Centre of doing little. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had raised apprehensions over whether the fishermen had received a fair trial.
