"People of Tamil Nadu should know truth": Jaishankar slams DMK over Kachchatheevu island issue

He stressed that it is important that people of Tamil Nadu should know the truth. Jaishankar said that he has responded to more than 20 letters written by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on the issue.

While responding to a media query during the press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Jaishankar said, "I think the issue is actually an issue of the rights of the fishermen and the welfare of fishermen. We had a party in Tamil Nadu, DMK, which has always said, you know, we are the champion of Tamils, we are the champion of fishermen, and whatever has happened has been done by the central government without consulting us. So, they, from time to time, keep raising this issue. They raise it in Parliament, they raise it in public. In fact, very often, Chief Minister writes to me. You know, I can remember replying, to more than 20 letters from him on this issue."

"Now, if this is such a big issue, and DMK particularly keeps blaming Centre for it. I think most important it is the people of Tamil Nadu should know the truth. How did this happen? It happened because when the then Central Government, Congress Government, was negotiating these issues, they were actually consulting the then state government, which was led by DMK. But, this was kept a secret. So, DMK was very much party to these negotiations, very much party to this outcome. So what happened was, because this issue kept being raised again and again, and one party kept saying, I am the champion, the real face of this party, I think other parties wanted to expose," he added.

He said that the then-Central government was continuously in touch with the then-Tamil Nadu government. In the press conference, Jaishankar said, "So, there was a request for documents under RTI. And when these documents became public, what they showed was that from 1973 onwards, actually the-then central government, foreign ministry, was continuously in detail consulting the Tamil Nadu government and the chief minister personally on this matter."

Taking a dig at DMK claim that they were champions of fishermen, he said, "Even before the agreement was reached in 1974, even that was explained in very great detail. And in fact, what they said, what the position of DMK was, okay, we agree with all of this, but you know, in public, we will not support you. So, in public, we will say something else, but actually, we are with you."

Speaking about the Kachchatheevu issue, he said that the agreement signed in 1974 was about the whole maritime boundary. However, the exchange of letters in 1976 said that Indian fishermen can no longer fish on that side. He said that now the record has come to light that then-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was personally consulted on the matter.

Jaishankar said, "See, what happened was, if you look at what is the situation, in 1974 you had the agreement on Kachchatheevu. Not on Kachchatheevu, on the whole maritime boundary actually. In 1976 there was an exchange of letters which said that Indian fishermen cannot any longer fish on that side."

"So, the 74 and 76 agreements had certain implications. Today, many of the problems which are happening are because people are fishing on that side. Look, I'm not even getting into who is right, who is wrong, etc. I am making a very very simple fact. The simple fact is DMK said this is done by the Centre. They did not ask us. Record has come to light that the Chief Minister was personally consulted," he added.

On being asked about India's stance on Kachchatheevu island, he said that matter is subjudice and there are writ petitions pending before the Supreme Court.

He said, "You are also aware that this entire matter is subjudice. That there are writ petitions pending before Supreme Court. You know that ministers do not comment when matters are pending before Supreme Court. So, look, I am making a very, very limited point. Limited point is people, any country, it's not even necessarily limited to this issue, especially at a time when matters have been publicly debated, debated in Parliament, is taken up, you know, is an issue even during elections."

"There should be at least a clean record, no, honest record. That is my limited point. No, not only in this, on every issue. I think if a party has taken a position, the public should know there is one position in Parliament, like our friend has said, and one position inside the room. Then, after that, if you still want to say you are the champion, but you are a champion who will speak with two voices and two faces, that is your privilege. That is my limited part," he added.

The decades-old territorial and fishing rights dispute around Katchatheevu island has been in controversy, with the BJP and the opposition engaging in a war of words over the issue.

PM Narendra Modi on Monday targeted the Congress party and DMK over the Katchatheevu island issue. He said that Congress "callously" gave away the island. He also alleged the ruling party of Tamil Nadu did "nothing" to safeguard the state's interests.

New details emerging on the issue of India handing over the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka have unmasked the DMK's double standards totally, PM Modi posted on X, citing a news report that said that then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had given his concurrence to the agreement despite his party's public posturing against the deal.

"Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests. New details emerging on #Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK's double standards totally. Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their own sons and daughters rise. They don't care for anyone else. Their callousness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and fisherwomen in particular," PM Modi posted on X.

The media report is based on an RTI reply received by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai to his queries on the 1974 agreement between India and Lanka when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. (ANI)