Udupi: A delegation of fishermen from Malpe, led by local MLA Raghupathi Bhat met Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 24 regarding missing boat Suvarna Tribhuja with seven fishermen onboard.
The delegation urged the defence minister to bring back the seven fishermen who went missing under mysterious circumstances after leaving for deep sea fishing from Malpe shore on December 13, 2018.
Responding to the delegation, Sitharaman promised to visit Malpe port along with defence ministry officials and meet the fishermen before March 5. She said that she was and would always be with the fishermen and promised to undertake steps or launch operation as may be found necessary in the interest of missing fishermen.
Meanwhile, the Raghupati Bhat contacted Pejawar Sri Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji over the phone and requested him to speak with defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Pejawar Swamiji requested the minister to make every effort to trace the missing fishermen at the earliest.
Along with Raghupathy Bhat, president of Dakshina Kannada Fish Marketing Federation, Mangaluru Yashpal Suvarna, President of Malpe Fishermen’s Association Sathish Kunder, Dayanand Suvarna , Karunakar Salian, Shashidhar Thingalaya, Gopal R K and Harish Kunder, along with all office bearers of All India Fishermen’s Forum and family members of missing fishermen Ganesh Kotian, Pramod Salian and Pandu Mogera were present.
