"Some good outcome" soon in fishermen issue, says Rudy

Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said "some good outcome" would soon emerge on the issue of five fishermen facing death sentence in Sri lanka, in which India has filed an appeal.

"Indian government has very strategic and strong diplomacy, which we are pursuing...(let us) wait for the outcome and I'm sure that this government is fully aware of the issue and some good outcome will come," Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs told reporters at the airport here.

Voices of opposition raised from across Tamil Nadu after a Sri lankan court awarded death penalty to the fishermen, hailing from the state, in a drug smuggling case.

While Prime Minister Naredra Modi is said to have spoken to Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the issue, the Indian High Commission in Colombo has filed an appeal in the lankan Supreme Court on behalf of the fishermen.

External Affairs Minister Syed Akbaruddin had said that "we are confident that justice will be done."

Commenting on the BJP winning trust vote in Maharashtra, Rudy said "I must congratulate the Maharashtra government. We have won the trust vote. The mandate of the people of Maharashtra has been reflected and this was the mandate given to BJP. The vote of strength prove that it is the majority government. It has full right to continue and perform and meet the aspirations of people in Maharashtra."

Rudy was the BJP leader in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh before he was made the Union Minister of State.

"After my Maharashtra assignment, I was given Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and I have been given new assignment as Union Minister. I will still interact and associate in Tamil Nadu. We have to bring Tamil Nadu agenda to National agenda," he said.

Rudy later left for the city outskirts, where the BJP's state conference is on.