PM Modi says 'Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu' island to Sri Lanka

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The island of Katchatheevu, located just 25 km from Rameswaram in India's Tamil Nadu state, has emerged as a focal point in the ongoing election campaign in India in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term.

The development comes after Tamil Nadu chief of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, K Annamalai, through a Right To Information application obtained crucial information related to how the 285-acre island came to be administered by Sri Lanka.

Katchatheevu issue heats up as India goes to polls. RTI shows its given to Sri Lanka by Frm Indian PM Indira Gandhi. PM Modi reacts. https://t.co/9CRUghTWbS pic.twitter.com/GmCxHjk4lq — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 31, 2024

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Annamalai's RTI application found that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government decided to hand over Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974. The official documents showed how New Delhi gave up its control over the island in the Palk Strait.

Katchatheevu island row: PM Modi reacts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and described the information as '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 75 years and counting," PM Modi wrote.

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

In a press conference in New Delhi, the BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said: "On the issue of Katchatheevu, I would like to remind the entire nation that it belonged to India till 1975 and it is just 25 km from the Indian coast in Tamil Nadu. Earlier Indian fishermen used to go there but during the reign of Indira Gandhi, the then government handed it over to Sri Lanka… In that agreement, it was also said that no Indian fisherman could go there. Because of this, many fishermen have been caught and lodged in jail and faced atrocities."

Trivedi said that "neither DMK (Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party) raises this issue nor Congress raises this issue..."

(With inputs from agencies)