Sri Lanka fishermen issue: Sushma Swaraj says she is very influential

New Delhi: During his visit to Sri Lanka on March 13 and 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a lunch hosted by Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickramasinghe whose controversial remarks that Sri Lanka can shoot Indian fishermen who stray into its waters had caused widespread outrage in India.

During his talks with Sri Lankan leaders including President Maithripala Sirisena, India is expected to take up the fishermen issue as a humanitarian one linked to livelihood.

Apart from Colombo, Mr Modi will also visit Talaimannar where he will unveil a plaque at a railway station (since India is modernising rail networks in that area) and Jaffna where he will hand over houses built by India for displaced persons — a project described as a flagship one by India — apart from unveiling a foundation plaque at a cultural centre there.

Meanwhile, replying to a taunt by an opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha while she was speaking on the issue of plight of fishermen and how the issue has been taken up with Sri Lanka, Sushma Swaraj said, “I am not helpless minister, but very influential.”

Congress leader Rajeev Shukla had said that the remarks by Wickreme-singhe was a slap on the face of India and showed helplessness of the external affairs minister.