Chennai, Nov. 29 -- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin has urged External Affairs Minister Dr. S.Jaishankar to secure the immediate release of 23 fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy along with their five boats yesterday.

He said in this year alone, 221 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The repeated instances of arrests by the Sri Lankan navy are causing severe stress and anguish among the fishermen community in Tamil Nadu who are solely dependent on fishing, he added.

He urged Dr Jaishankar to take necessary diplomatic initiatives to restrain the Sri Lankan Navy from apprehending our fishermen and also enable the early release of all the fishermen and their fishing boats now under Sri Lankan custo...