2024-04-02 18:54:34
New Delhi: The Central Government is in no mood to back down on the issue of Katchatheevu Island. After PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also raised this issue in the press conference today. Jaishankar said that in 1974, India and Sri Lanka entered into an agreement where they drew a maritime boundary, and in drawing the maritime boundary, Kachchivu was placed on the Sri Lankan side of the border. Jaishankar did not stop here. He also attacked the Tamil Nadu government DMK. The External Affairs Minister said that Congress and DMK have taken this matter as if they have no responsibility on it.Congress targets BJP on Katchatheevu island
Before Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, PM Modi himself has also targeted Katchatheevu. In today’s press conference of Jaishankar, Congress was mainly the target. Reiterating the agreement reached in 1974, Jaishankar said that an agreement was signed between India and Sri Lanka that year. Both the countries had signed it. After that the then Congress government drew a maritime boundary and in drawing the maritime boundary Katchatheevu was placed on the Sri Lankan side of the border. Jaishankar further said that we know who did this, we do not know who hid it. We believe the public has a right to know how this situation arose.
I have given my answer on this issue 21 times: Jaishankar
Jaishankar in his press conference said that in the last 20 years, 6184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka and 1175 Indian fishing boats have been seized by Sri Lanka during the same period. The Katchatheevu issue and the fishermen issue have been raised repeatedly by various parties in Parliament in the last five years. This has come to the fore in parliamentary questions, debates and advisory committees. The then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has written to me several times and my record shows that I have replied to the present Chief Minister on this issue 21 times. This is a live issue that has been much debated in Parliament and in Tamil Nadu circles. This has been the subject of correspondence between the Central Government and the State Government.
Jaishankar told the story of that agreement signed in 1974
Jaishankar said that in less than two years, another agreement was signed between India and Sri Lanka. This agreement said that by creating Exclusive Economic Zone for both the countries, India and Sri Lanka will have exclusive rights on living and non-living resources in their EEZ. Also, Indian fishermen and fishing boats will not enter Sri Lanka’s territorial waters and their Exclusive Economic Zone. Jaishankar said that an assurance was given in 1974 and then an agreement was made in 1976 in which this assurance was broken.
S Jaishankar said that in Parliament in 2006, the then Minister E. Ahmed replied that the 1974 agreement in which the maritime boundary of India and Sri Lanka was fixed and the letters exchanged on this issue in 1976, said that India Fishermen and fishing boats will not enter Sri Lankan waters and EEZ. Jaishankar said that the government has consistently taken this position. The effect of this was that in the last 20 years, 6184 Indian fishermen were detained by Sri Lanka. Besides, 1175 Indian fishing boats were also seized.
When there is a border dispute, legal opinion is taken…
Referring to the information received from RTI, Jaishankar said that India has made its claim on Katchatheebu that Indian fishermen have been continuously visiting here. There is no document to show that it was with Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka claims that their claim is correct. When India and Sri Lanka became independent, this issue also became a military issue as to how this island could be used. This issue arose in the 1960s, when many discussions took place regarding it. Before the agreement in 1974, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka had come to meet the then PM of India Indira Gandhi.
He said that whenever there is a border dispute, legal opinion is taken. Legal opinion was also taken from the Attorney General at that time. The Attorney General and the Legal Department of the Ministry of External Affairs also said in their opinion at that time that Katchatheebu belongs to India and even if India’s claim does not appear to be completely solid, then at least India should take the right of Indian fishermen to go there and do fishing. Only need. Jaishankar said that India’s rights were lost there because the then Central Government and Tamil Nadu Government did not care about it.
DMK and Congress also on Modi’s target
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking on Katchatheevu, also attacked Congress and DMK. PM Modi said that apart from rhetoric, DMK has done nothing to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu. The new details emerging on Katchatheevu have completely refuted the DMK’s double standards. Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their own sons and daughters grow up. They don’t care about anyone else. His harshness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and especially the fishermen.
Citing the news of our associate TOE, Modi said, ‘Eye-opening and shocking!’ New facts show how Congress carelessly abandoned Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in the minds of people that we can never trust Congress. Undermining the unity, integrity and interests of India has been the Congress’s modus operandi for 75 years and counting.