Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday slammed TVK MLAs for thumping their desks as his party walked out of the assembly for not taking up a special calling-attention motion on the murder of a 39-year-old fisherman by pirates in the sea off Saudi Arabia on Aug 10 night.“I don’t understand why they were making noise and laughing when we walked out of the house in protest. Will anyone who genuinely cares about the welfare of Tamils behave like that?” Palaniswami told reporters outside the assembly. “TVK govt is a reels govt that shows no real concern for Tamil people,” he said.Palaniswami said the fisherman, P Maaveeran, hailing from Thoduvai village in Mayiladuthurai, was killed in the pirate attack, while three others sustained injuries and were hospitalised in Saudi Arabia.“We submitted a notice under rule 55 five days ago. But it has not been taken up to date,” he said, adding that the victims’ families were contacting AIADMK MLAs seeking assistance.“We urge the govt to repatriate the fisherman’s body and secure the safe return of the injured. This is the govt’s duty, yet it continues to ignore the plight of Tamils suffering abroad,” he said.
