CHENNAI: Criticising Governor R N Ravi for censuring the State government on the fishermen issue, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Monday advised Raj Bhavan and the State BJP to stop publicly preaching on the Katchatheevu issue if they are unable to take constructive action on it.
Recalling the famous statement of former Union minister Sushma Swaraj in 2014 that the fishermen issue would be resolved once the BJP formed government, Selvaperunthagai sought to know if the governor could explain what action was initiated by the BJP regime on the issue in the last ten years.
Citing the recent diplomatic visit of Lankan President Anurakumara Dasanayake to New Delhi and his interaction with Prime Minister Modi, the TNCC chief asked if Prime Minister Modi, who committed four million US dollars to Colombo during the talks, requested the return of the ceded islet to India? “Why did he not ask? What efforts did PM Modi, who raised the issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign, make to retrieve the islet? It has exposed the double standard of the BJP and PM Modi. So, it would augur well for the Governor and BJP to not raise the Katchatheevu issue in public if they are unable to initiate action on the issue,” Selvaperunthagai said.
TN fishermen are aware that there was no link between the issue and Katchatheevu islet, the TNCC chief said adding that the Lankan waters are rich in marine resources.