Chennai, Jan 22 (PTI) Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress and its ally, the ruling DMK in the state, over the ceding of the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, questioning the TNCC chief over his recent statement that the move was a “strategic maneuver” by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On his ‘X’ account, Annamalali tagged a video clip of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K Selvaperunthagai purportedly saying the ceding was a “strategic maneuver” by India Gandhi.
“He constantly repeats this to emphasise how Indians should be thankful to Smt Indira Gandhi. The DMK & Congress have, for the last 4 decades, led to the loss of lives of our fishermen and put the lives of Tamil Fishermen at risk through their unilateral decision-making by gifting away Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka without even tabling this decision in the Parliament for discussion in 1974,” Annamalai said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working tirelessly to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and has bridged the gap in infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeastern region, “which remained neglected during the Congress regime.” “And here we have Congress boasting with pride that gifting away a critical island that belonged to India was Smt Indira Gandhi’s strategic maneuver. Does Thiru @SPK_TNCC realise that Congress & DMK’s strategic maneuver has cost the lives of our fishermen, many losing their livelihood due to constant arrest & loss of shipping vessels,” he asked.
“Is the Congress party not ashamed for trying to justify a haphazard decision? Is TN CM Thiru @mkstalin avl also of the same opinion as his Congress counterpart (sic),” the BJP leader added.
Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu have been arrested and some times shot at allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy for crossing the maritime boundary near Katchatheevu. PTI SA SA KH
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