A delegation of the fishermen called on Rahul Gandhi here on Thursday. During their meeting with the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha at the reception hall of the Parliament House, they briefed him about the issues faced by them.

Rahul Gandhi had to meet the fishermen at the reception hall as they were not issued passes to enter the parliament house.

Advertisement

Talking to reporters, Gandhi said, “It is our right to meet anyone, but they are not allowing us.”

“That’s all fine. My life becomes a bit more difficult because it’s easier to meet them there, otherwise now I will have to keep coming here…,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

Earlier, the party said, “Rahul Gandhi met the delegation of fishermen from across the country in reception hall of the Parliament House as the passes were not issued to the delegation.”

Notably, the All India Fishermen Congress (AIFC), while attacking the Centre, said, “The NDA Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now in their third term, has persistently neglected the struggles of fishermen across the nation. The recent budget has further betrayed the interests of our community, prioritizing corporate gains over the welfare of the poor fisher folk.”

The government’s corporate mentality and the implementation of unscientific Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms threaten to displace fisher folk from their lands, gravely affecting their livelihoods, it alleged.

“Moreover, fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry continue to face severe hardships due to repeated abductions and detentions by the Sri Lankan Navy. The frequent confiscation and auctioning of boats and fishing equipment by the Sri Lankan authorities have compounded their woes,” it said.

Later, Gandhi also met a delegation for the Right to Food Campaign in the reception area of the Parliament House.