Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took aim at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday, asserting that recent revelations regarding the Katchatheevu island issue have exposed the party’s “double standards” entirely. His remarks followed a previous critique of the Congress party for relinquishing control of the strategic island to Sri Lanka in the 1970s.
In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister stated, “Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on #Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK’s double standards totally.”
He further criticized the Congress and DMK, referring to them as “family units” focused solely on promoting their own interests, disregarding the welfare of others. Modi emphasized that their negligence concerning Katchatheevu has particularly harmed the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen and fisherwomen.
Katchatheevu island serves as a fishing ground for fishermen from Tamil Nadu, yet they often face detention by the Sri Lankan Navy upon crossing the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) to access the island.
The Prime Minister’s comments were prompted by a Right To Information (RTI) report revealing the Congress government’s decision, under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to cede control of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in 1974. Modi asserted that this action has undermined India’s unity and interests.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also criticized the DMK and Congress, accusing them of neglecting their responsibility regarding the Katchatheevu island issue. He highlighted the extensive detention of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka over the years and emphasized that the matter has been consistently raised in Parliament.
Jaishankar asserted that both the Congress and DMK have treated the issue as if it were solely the responsibility of the current Central government to resolve, ignoring their own historical involvement.
The External Affairs Minister stressed the need for transparency, stating that the public deserves to know the circumstances surrounding the Katchatheevu issue and called for accountability from those responsible.
Modi’s remarks drew criticism from the Congress and DMK, with the former questioning the current government’s efforts to address the issue and the latter accusing the BJP-led NDA government of avoiding accountability by blaming the opposition.
