Katchatheevu: Stalin slams BJP govt for ‘somersault’ with eye on LS polls
The BJP government had submitted in SC that war with Sri Lanka was the only option to get Katchatheevu back, says Stalin, slamming Modi for staging a “drama”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday (April 2) slammed the BJP for spinning “stories” on the Katchatheevu issue with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at an election rally in Vellore, Stalin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have the guts to either condemn Sri Lanka over fishermen’s arrests or oppose China on its claims over Arunachal Pradesh. “When that is the case, how can he talk about Katchatheevu?” he remarked.
“Wrong information”
The DMK president hit out at Modi for staging a “drama” and coming up with “stories” on the Katchatheevu issue and dubbed the disclosures by the Centre on the matter under Right to Information (RTI) as “wrong information”.
He asked how the government has given “wrong information” on matters involving the nation’s security under the RTI to an individual belonging to the BJP. He was referring to Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai, who had filed the RTI plea.
“Why this somersault?”
Stalin pointed out that the BJP government had in the past not provided answers on Katchatheevu by stating that the subject was sub judice, as the matter was pending in Supreme Court. The BJP regime in 2015 said Katchatheevu had never been a part of India, he added, pointing out that the information had been provided by S Jaishankar, who was the then foreign secretary.
“Since the elections are around the corner, they (BJP) have changed the information as per their wish. Why this somersault? Has PM Modi, who is now talking on Katchatheevu, has, during his 10-year tenure, ever condemned Sri Lanka over the arrests of fishermen and firing on them? Why didn’t he do that?” Stalin remarked.
He further asked why Modi has not spoken on China, which is claiming Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.
“No courage”
“There is no courage to censure Sri Lanka. There is no courage to oppose China. How can you talk about Katchatheevu? The BJP government, which came into being in 2014, submitted in the Supreme Court, in a related matter, that war with Sri Lanka was the only option to have Katchatheevu back,” he added.
Stalin demanded to know whether PM Modi, during his visit to Sri Lanka, had sought the return of Katchatheevu and whether he conveyed to the neighbouring country that the island belonged to India. “Modi did not remember Katchatheevu during his foreign visit,” Stalin said.
“No appropriate answers for years”
The Chief Minister said he had, on May 26, 2022, when the Prime Minister visited Chennai for an event, sought the retrieval of Katchatheevu to uphold the traditional fishing rights of fishermen. “Do you remember that?” he said, referring to Modi.
Stalin wondered how the Centre furnished information on such an important matter to the petitioner within “four working days” of receiving the application under the RTI Act.
For many years, there were no appropriate answers in Parliament whenever questions were raised on Katchatheevu and, though several persons had sought information under RTI, clear information was not provided, Stalin sad.
(With agency inputs)
