Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu island: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi exposes Congress for giving away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka, sparking outrage and political tension.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 31 cited a media report to assert that new facts reveal that the Congress “callously” gave away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka.

“Eye-opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds - we can’t ever trust Congress,” he said on X, sharing the report.

Mr. Modi added, “Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting.”

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that the decision of the then Congress government at the Centre has led to the capture and imprisonment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Lankans as they at times wander to the island, which is only 25 km off their state’s coast, and are arrested.

The island was with India till 1975, he said. Tamil Nadu fishermen used to go there earlier but the agreement India signed with Lanka under the Indira Gandhi government barred them from doing so, he added.

Unfortunately, neither the DMK nor the Congress is raising the issue but Mr. Modi is due to his commitment to the issues pertaining to the country and its people, he said.

The BJP is hopeful that the issue will come handy to its efforts to gain political traction in the Dravidian territory as it gears up for the Lok Sabha polls, more so as it involves the neighbouring Sri Lanka whose treatment of its Tamilian citizens has long been a charged political issue in the state.