PM Modi alleged that the then Congress-led government under Indira Gandhi carelessly handed over Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka.
A heated exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress has ignited both online and offline platforms following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement against the Congress regarding the Katchatheevu island dispute with Sri Lanka.
PM Modi alleged that the then Congress-led government under Indira Gandhi carelessly handed over Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka. He emphasised this point by citing a media report and said, "Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting."
In response, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge questioned Modi's timing in bringing up the issue, suggesting it was a ploy for political gain ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Kharge wrote on X, "Pradhan Mantri @narendramodi 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."
The controversy stems from an RTI reply received by Tamil Nadu's BJP president K Annamalai, which shed light on the 1974 decision by the Indira Gandhi government to relinquish control of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. This decision, according to BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, has resulted in the capture and imprisonment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah joined the fray, accusing Congress of undermining India's unity and integrity. "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," he said.
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 "Katchatheevu row: Tiny island takes centre stage ahead of Lok Sabha Polls 2024")
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