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Katchatheevu Island row: PM Modi vs Mallikarjun Kharge ahead of Lok Sabha elections
Mallikarjun Kharge asked why PM Modi did not take steps to get Katchatheevu Island back from Sri Lanka during his 10-year rule.
A war of words broke out, both online and offline, between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress on Sunday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the then Indira Gandhi-led Congress government gave away Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge asked why Modi did not take steps to get it back during his 10-year rule and alleged that raising the "sensitive" issue ahead of elections shows his “desperation”.
Citing a media report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier asserted 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," Modi said on X (formally Twitter), sharing the report.
Modi added, “Weakening India's unity, integrity and interests has been Congress' way of working for 75 years and counting.”
Also Read | All you need to know about Katchatheevu island, ‘ceded’ by Congress to Sri Lanka
The report is based on an RTI reply Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president K Annamalai received on the decision of the then Indira Gandhi government in 1974 to hand over the territory in Palk Strait to the neighbouring country.
The report also cites first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's comments on the issue, a source of dispute between India and Lanka, that he would have no hesitation in giving up claims on the island.
Later, raising the Katchatheevu island issue at an election rally, Modi accused the Congress and the Opposition alliance of trying to harm the country's unity and sovereignty.
"Today, yet another anti-India conduct of Congress has been exposed. The island of Katchatheevu, which lies between India and Sri Lanka and is extremely important from the perspective of national security, was given away by Congress after independence.
"India is still paying for the misdoings of the Congress government," he said.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar also took a swipe at the Congress, saying these facts should concern every citizen.
"It is important that people know the full truth about our past," Jaishankar said.
The facts brought out by the article should concern every citizen, the EAM added.
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, Sudhanshu Trivedi added.
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 elections, 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.
Katchatheevu issue: Amit Shah says Cong against India's unity, integrity
Joining the debate, Union home minister Amit Shah attacked the Congress, saying it reflected that the party is against the unity and integrity of India.
"Slow claps for Congress! They willingly gave up #Katchatheevu and had no regrets about it either. Sometimes an MP of the Congress speaks about dividing the nation and sometimes they denigrate Indian culture and traditions. This shows that they are against the unity and integrity of India. They only want to divide or break our nation," Amit Shah posted on 'X'.
Mallikarjun Kharge hits back at PM Modi
Questioning the timing of Modi's allegations, Mallikarjun Kharge questioned why the prime minister gave a "clean chit" to China after 20 bravehearts made supreme sacrifice in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.
Kharge said Katchatheevu island was given to Sri Lanka as part of a friendly agreement in 1974 and reminded the Modi government that it too had undertaken a similar “friendly gesture” towards Bangladesh in exchange for border enclaves.
"Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi ji, You have suddenly woken up to the issues of territorial integrity and national security in your 10th year of misrule. Perhaps, elections are the trigger. Your desperation is palpable," Kharge said in a post on X.
Citing his statement made in 2015, he said the prime minister had said, "The Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh is not just about realignment of land, it is about a meeting of hearts".
"This is your own statement in 2015 lauding your own government's realisation of Smt. Indira Gandhi's initiative in 1974," Kharge said.
He also alleged, "Under your Government, in a friendly gesture, 111 enclaves from India were transferred to Bangladesh, and 55 enclaves came to India."
In 1974, the Congress chief said, a similar agreement, based on a friendly gesture, was initiated with another country - Sri Lanka on Katchatheevu.
"On the eve of elections in Tamil Nadu, you are raising this sensitive issue, but your own Government's Attorney General, Shri Mukul Rohtagi in 2014 told the following to the Supreme Court - 'Katchatheevu went to Sri Lanka by an agreement in 1974'¦ How can it be taken back today? If you want Katchatheevu back, you will have to go to war to get it back'.
DMK says it opposed ceding Katchatheevu
The DMK and its ally- the Congress in Tamil Nadu on Sunday slammed Modi and the ruling party claimed that it had opposed in 1974 the ceding of the island to the neighbouring country.
Hitting out at Modi, the Tamil Nadu Congress demanded answers for the "Chinese incursion" into Indian territory.
Responding to the allegation by Modi, DMK organisation secretary RS Bharathi said the prime minister has "no achievements" to showcase and charged that he (Prime Minister) was only spreading "lies."
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai slammed Modi for raking up the Katchatheevu issue.
On X, the Congress leader sought to know “when PM Modi will talk on Chinese incursion into Indian territory, the Parliament security breach, the Pulwama terror attack in which 44 soldiers were killed, Manipur which is on fire and the missing (stolen) documents related to Rafale fighter aircraft deal.”
(With inputs from agencies)
