Congress cannot be trusted because it “callously gave away Katchatheevu” to Sri Lanka: Modi
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed, citing a media source, that fresh information showed the Congress had “callously” given the island of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.
“Starting and opening the eyes! Recent information shows how Congress heartlessly handed Katchatheevu away. He shared the news on X and added, “This has infuriated every Indian and reinforced in people’s minds—we can never trust Congress.”
Modi said, “Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting.”
A screenshot of the post of PM Modi on X
A screenshot of PM Modi’s post on X was shared by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who also attacked the Congress by stating that all citizens should be concerned over these facts.
He said on X, “It is important that people know the full truth about our past.” He went on to say that every person should be concerned about the facts revealed in the media piece.
According to BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi, fishermen from Tamil Nadu are sometimes detained when they stray to the island, which is barely 25 km off the coast of their state, as a result of a decision made by the then-Congress administration at the center.
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He said that India owned the island till 1975. Fishermen from Tamil Nadu used to visit Lanka, but they were prohibited from doing so by an agreement India reached with the country under the administration of Indira Gandhi, he said.
He stated that because Modi is committed to addressing matters that concern the nation and its citizens, neither the DMK nor the Congress are, regrettably, bringing up the subject.
As it prepares for the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is optimistic that the issue will help it gain political traction in the Dravidian territory. This is especially true since it concerns the neighboring country of Sri Lanka, whose treatment of its Tamilian citizens has long been a contentious political issue in the state.
The article draws on an RTI response that K Annamalai, the head of the Tamil Nadu BJP, obtained about the 1974 decision made by the then-Indira Gandhi government to cede the area across the Palk Strait to the neighboring countries.
The first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, said that he would not hesitate to give up claims to the island, a point of contention between India and Lanka, according to the article.
In a jab at Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, Trivedi questioned why the politician was remaining silent on the matter and suggested that he inform the public that not only his party but also his family is to blame.
In the Parliament last year, Prime Minister Modi said that Sri Lanka had received the island of Katchatheevu in 1974 from the India Gandhi administration.
The prime minister had said, “These people divided mother India into three parts for politics,” in response to a discussion on a vote of no confidence.
