I’m not here to do politics: Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner clarifies on meeting with Puducherry fishermen

Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Southern India successful Chennai Ganesanathan Geathiswaran connected Sunday (April 5, 2026) rejected claims helium took portion successful a gathering with fishermen hosted by immoderate governmental party.

Stating that it was a "routine visit" and that the lawsuit was not organised by immoderate governmental party, Mr. Geathiswaran said: "I'm not present to bash politics."

Congress Working Committee subordinate Pawan Khera, successful a societal media post, referred to the gathering reportedly held successful the past week of March and contended that that it was a gross usurpation of 1961 Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, which states that overseas diplomats "have a work not to interfere successful the interior affairs of that State".

He besides pointed retired that India and Sri Lanka were signatories of the Convention. Mr. Khera further sought to cognize if the Election Commission of India volition contented a announcement to the governmental enactment acrophobic and the BJP for hosting a diplomat successful a governmental event.

Speaking to The Hindu implicit the telephone from Kanniyakumari, Mr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran said: "From the clip I came present [on his authoritative posting successful confederate India], I person been discussing with fishermen. Many fishermen associations met maine successful my bureau successful Chennai six months ago. This is my 4th gathering with them." Recalling his meetings with fishermen successful assorted parts of Tamil Nadu, helium said helium has met with fishermen successful Puducherry, Nagapattinam and Kanniyakumari.

When asked astir the societal media station involving his gathering with fishermen and disapproval implicit the meeting, Mr. Geathiswaran said: "I'm not present to bash politics. I person thing to bash with politics. I did not spell determination representing immoderate governmental party."

To a disapproval that his actions were argued to beryllium against the Vienna Convention, Mr. Geathiswaran clarified: "I did not instrumentality portion successful immoderate governmental campaign. It was successful an unfastened country on the seashore. The gathering was not connected a signifier and connected a nationalist area."

Earlier, Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi president Jose Charles Martin, successful a societal media post, had shared photos of Mr. Geathiswaran seen interacting successful a gathering. Mr. Martin further said that helium had invited Mr. Geathiswaran based connected his relationship to conscionable and interact with fishermen from Vaithikuppam successful Puducherry implicit their grievances.

Mr. Martin further said assorted issues facing fishermen successful Puducherry and Karaikal were flagged and helium further quoted Mr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran arsenic saying that helium would effort to resoluteness those issues owed to the efforts being made by Mr. Martin.