The Congress party has weakened India’s unity, integrity and interests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, reacting to a media report that detailed what transpired in New Delhi’s power corridors in the build-up to the controversial handing over of the disputed Katchatheevu island by Indira Gandhi’s government to present-day Sri Lanka in 1974.
PM Modi was joined by a bevy of leaders of the Centre’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who shared the link to the Times of India article on X (previously Twitter) and admonished the Congress for losing control over the island in Palk Strait. Some of them highlighted views by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was quoted in the article as saying he did not give much importance to the island and “would have no hesitation” giving up claims over it.
The documents, the TOI report said, were obtained by K Annamalai, Tamil Nadu’s BJP chief, through a Right to Information (RTI) application.
“Eye opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu,” PM Modi said.
“This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds- we can’t ever trust Congress!” he added in the same post, sharing a link to the article that pointed to indecision on the Centre’s part leading to the handover of the 1.9-square-kilometre island about 20km from Indian shore.
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!
Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 31, 2024
While Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress of working against “the unity and integrity of India”, BJP president JP Nadda said it was “part of Congress’ work culture to give up Indian territory given the slightest opportunity”.
Sharing the link to the article, Tamil Nadu BJP’s Annamalai said it was the “first part of the chronology of the betrayal of Congress & DMK”. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which rules Tamil Nadu, was in power during the 1974 handover and in the run-up to it as well.
“Both these parties chose to align with Sri Lankan interests, handed over Katchatheevu on a silver platter & put to risk the lives & livelihood of our Tamil Fishermen,” Annamalai posted on X.
Narayanan Thirupathy, another senior BJP leader in Tamil Nadu, repeated the charge and took potshots at the Congress and its political ally, the DMK. Thirupathy, too, said the decision to give up claims over the tiny island hurt Tamil Nadu’s fishermen community.
As the controversy snowballed, Tamil Nadu Congress spokesperson Americai Narayanan issued a rebuttal, stressing that his party is committed to the welfare of the state. He alleged that BJP leaders were trying to divide India through their “petty politics”.
The controversy came just weeks ahead of the first round of voting in the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, with both the BJP and the Opposition alliance involving the Congress and the DMK eyeing an impressive performance in southern India. The BJP’s critics linked the controversy to the upcoming elections, and said it was being propped up as a poll issue.
“I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim on it,” said then PM Jawaharlal Nehru.Read how the Nehru-Gandhi father-daughter duo ceded the strategic #Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka.https://t.co/44p9N6m1a2
— Kangana Ranaut (Modi Ka Parivar) (@KanganaTeam) March 31, 2024
What BJP’s RTI Reveals About The Issue
The documents cited by TOI report detail how Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, pressed its claim on the piece of land right after Independence when it said the Indian Navy (then Royal Indian Navy) could not conduct exercises on the island without its permission.
New Delhi contested Sri…
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