On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed criticism towards the DMK regarding the Katchatheevu island matter, accusing the ruling party of Tamil Nadu of neglecting to protect the state's interests, PM Modi said that new details emerging on Katchatheevu have “unmasked the DMK's double standard”.
Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK’s double standards totally. Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their own sons and daughters rise. They don’t care for anyone else. Their callousness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and fisherwomen in particular, said in a post X.
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In 1974, during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure, the Indian government signed an agreement with Sri Lanka, officially relinquishing India's claim to the island of Katchatheevu. This decision sparked significant controversy, especially in Tamil Nadu, where widespread opposition emerged due to the island's historical use by Indian fishermen. DMK MP Era Sezhiyan vehemently opposed the agreement in Parliament, criticizing it as a surrender of territory without adequate consultation.
Katchatheevu is home to the St. Anthony's shrine, the sole structure on the island. According to the June 1974 agreement, Indian fishermen are permitted to attend the annual St. Anthony's festival and utilize the island for resting and drying their nets. However, they often encounter arrest by Sri Lankan authorities while doing so.
The prime minister on Sunday targeted the Congress over the issue. He said, Weakening India's unity, integrity and interests has been the Congress' way of working for 75 years and counting. The BJP is hopeful that the issue will come in handy in its efforts to gain political traction in the Dravidian territory during the Lok Sabha polls, more so as it involves neighbouring Sri Lanka whose treatment of its own Tamilian citizens and Tamil Nadu fishermen has long been a charged political issue in the state.