NEW DELHI: As the political slugfest over Katchatheevu island escalates, the Opposition on Monday cited a 2015 RTI reply, which stated that the agreements in 1974 and 1976 did not involve either acquiring or ceding of territory belonging to India, and asked whether the “change” in Modi government’s stance was for “election politics”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said then prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi dubbed Katchatheevu, given to Sri Lanka in 1974 as part of a maritime boundary agreement, as a “little island” and “little rock”.
Congress leader P Chidambaram cited the 2015 RTI reply saying that it justified the circumstances under which India acknowledged that a small island belonged to Sri Lanka. “Tweet for Tweet is the new weapon. Will Foreign Minister Jaishankar please refer to the RTI reply dated 27-1-2015...The reply justified the circumstances under which India acknowledged that a small island belonged to Sri Lanka. Why is the Foreign Minister and his ministry doing a somersault now,” he asked.
“It is true that fishermen were detained in the last 50 years. Likewise, India has detained many Sri Lankan fishermen. Every government has negotiated with Sri Lanka and freed our fishermen,” Chidambaram said.
“This has happened when Jaishankar was a foreign service officer and when he was Foreign Secretary and when he is Foreign Minister. What has changed for Mr Jaishankar to launch a tirade against the Congress and DMK?” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi shared an RTI response from the ministry of external affairs in 2015 which said Katchatheevu Island lies on the Sri Lanka side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line, that was delineated by the 1974 Agreement demarcating it in the Palk Straits and a subsequent 1976 Agreement demarcating it in the Gulf of Mannar and Bay of Bengal.
“This did not involve either acquiring or ceding 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 India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line,” the RTI reply said.