New Delhi: Hours after EAM Jaishankar said leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi referred to Katchatheevu, ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 under a maritime boundary agreement, as a little island or little rock, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday alleged the opposition for difference in opinions on the Katchatheevu island, which has sparked controversy just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
The Sena leader went on to quote the RTI reply of 2015 where it was mentioned that the Katchatheevu island was neither acquired nor ceded and that it lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Boundary Maritime line.
In a post on X, Chaturvedi said,” Maybe MEA will be able to address this discrepancy in its RTI response in 2015 vis a vis 2024. As per the RTI response in 2015 when the current Foreign Minister was serving as the FS it was said “This did not involve either acquiring or ceding of territory belonging to India since the area in question had never been demarcated. Under the Agreements, the Island of Katchatheevu lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line.
”Today the Foreign Minister and yesterday the PM claimed it has been ‘ceded’. So is the change in stance for their election politics or has Modiji made a case for Sri Lanka”, she asked.
Earlier today, EAM Jaishankar took a jibe at Congress saying, “I am reminded of those days when Pandit Nehru called about our northern boundary as a place where not a blade of grass grew. I would like to remind the PM that after this historic statement by PM Nehru, he never regained the confidence of the country. The same is going to happen to the PM (Indira Gandhi) when she says that this is only a little rock and that there is nothing to worry about the territories of our country.'... So, this is not just one PM... This dismissive attitude...was the historic Congress attitude towards Katchatheevu", he pointed out.
“He said, that in the last 20 years, 6184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka and 1175 Indian fishing vessels have been seized, detained, or apprehended by Sri Lanka. This is the background of the issue that we are discussing”, he said during a press briefing here at BJP HQ, New Delhi.
Jaishankar said there have been claims and counterclaims between India and Sri Lanka over the Katchatheevu island. He highlighted India’s claim that Katchatheevu island belonged to Raja of Ramnad, who had received it from the East India Company. As it was part of the Raja’s zamindari rights, it eventually moved to the then Madras government.
"Moreover, for many years after the independence, Indian customs regularly went to Katchatheevu, which was never obstructed. India also argued that documentary evidence was absent for Sri Lanka to show that they had an original title to Katchatheevu", the minister said.
Further, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Chaturvedi criticized PM Modi's blatant remark on the Katchatheevu island, saying, “A sitting PM, has made some serious allegations against India’s Former PM Indira Gandhi of having ‘ceded’ Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka by quoting an RTI response. Without a thought to the chair he holds and the accusations, he makes for political point scoring in the upcoming elections in the hope that they can win some seats in Tamil Nadu.
“To divide the electorate by casting aspersions. Let's remember such decisions are taken by governments, which includes inputs and advice from professionals like diplomats, military officers, legal advisors, and bureaucrats. To reduce them to one leader or one party is undemocratic because a government is more than just one person. Let's not forget the RTI was filed by a BJP office bearer who is contesting an election from Tamil Nadu and the information shared is by the BJP government in the center for some political brownie point scoring.
“Also, going by the BJP logic, will anyone from Arunachal Pradesh or Ladakh file an RTI regarding the land grab by China after the jhoola diplomacy of PM and his declaration of न वहां कोई हमारी सीमा में घुसा हुआ है, न ही हमारी कोई पोस्ट किसी दूसरे के कब्जे में है post Galwan Valley clashes? है हिम्मत? Will someone from the BJP file an RTI to get information on how Nepal has claimed three villages in the Kalapani area and how Kathmandu published a new map showing India’s Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limipiyadhura as part of its territory? Now with regards to PM's tweet on this issue of Katchatheevu: - Now for context, India withdrew its claim on this island during negotiations with Sri Lanka to normalize the relationship in 1974 when Indira Gandhi was PM and DMK Government in TN then did not object to the the proposal. -India could not produce documentary evidence of historical fishing rights on this island in Palk Strait whereas Sri Lanka had documentary evidence to prove its claim”, she posted on X.
She said, “The total land involved was 150 acres of this island and with that Indira Gandhi as PM also ensured the repatriation of 6 lakh Tamilians to India. -Cut to 2015 when Narendra Modi as PM ceded 112 enclaves to Bangladesh in its control and got 55 enclaves from Bangladesh which were in Bangladesh's control in a bid to resolve a border dispute with Bangladesh pending from the time of partition due to an ill-defined partition line in Sunderbans Delta. -In total India ceded more than 15000 acres of land to Bangladesh in a bid to strengthen its relationship with neighbor”.
“This was hailed as path-breaking and rightly so as larger neighbor India was looked at as magnanimous and large-hearted in this agreement. -The way the PM is raking the 1974 agreement to withdraw claim on this island publicly and trying to show earlier government down and question India's international agreement with a neighbor is not in good stead for India's neighborhood security and international relations -Incidentally, the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi representing GoI (BJP ) in the Supreme Court in October 2014 to the question of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen fishing off the coast of this island, said that the island claim was withdrawn and the island was handed over to Sri Lanka after due process and international law”, added Chaturvedi.
In the morning today, PM Modi slammed DMK and Congress over the issue and said, “Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK’s double standards."
"Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their 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”, PM wrote on X.
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