NEW DELHI: Coming down heavily on the Congress party for giving away the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka during the tenure of the Indira Gandhi government in 1974, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that this has infuriated people, adding that the Congress can never be trusted. The Prime Minister accused the Congress of weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests during its years of governance. “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 posted on X, citing a news report. It is pertinent to mention that the island, located between Rameswaram (India) and Sri Lanka, was traditionally used by both Sri Lankan and Indian fishermen. In 1974, then prime minister Indira Gandhi accepted Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory under the “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime agreement”. The 1974 Agreement regarding historic waters between Sri Lanka and India in the Palk Strait and the Palk Bay formally confirmed Sri Lanka’s sovereignty over the Island. Earlier, in August last year, during his reply to a debate on a no-confidence motion, PM Modi attacked the Congress for dividing “Maa Bharati” into three parts for political interests and also pointed out that the Katchatheevu Island was ceded to Sri Lanka during the tenure of the Indira Gandhi government in 1974. “While Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, an aerial bombing in Mizoram happened and Katchatheevu island, now a part of Sri Lanka, was given to another country. “Was it not a part of Maa Bharati?” he said. “Just ask those who have gone out, what is Katchatheevu? And where is it located? DMK Government, their CM writes to me – Modi ji bring back Katchatheevu. It is an island but who gave it to another country. Was it not a part of Maa Bharati (Mother India)? And you broke it. It happened under the leadership of Indira Gandhi,” PM Modi said.
