Is India PM Narendra Modi’s claim over a tiny Sri Lanka island an election ploy?
- Modi has denounced the opposition Congress Party for ‘callously giving away’ the island of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in a 1974 agreement
- Critics have warned against nullifying the agreement, saying that it would lead to a row with Sri Lanka and dent India’s reputation
The row over the island of Katchatheevu, which is under Sri Lanka’s administration, could also potentially harm bilateral relations, Modi’s political opponents and analysts said.
Katchatheevu is located between a district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and another island in northern Sri Lanka.
“Eye-opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away Katchatheevu …. weakening India’s unity, integrity, and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting,” Modi tweeted on Sunday.
On Monday, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar backed Modi’s assertion at a news conference, alleging that the Congress government under then PM Indira Gandhi “ceded” Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka under a 1974 agreement and withheld the information from the public.
