New Delhi: Three days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of the opposition for supposedly relinquishing Kachchatheevu island, Sri Lanka stated on April 4 that there was “no need” to discuss the matter since it was resolved 50 years ago.
Since March 31, Modi has been repeatedly raising the Kachatheevu island at various campaign events across the country. He has alleged that Kachatheevu was Indian territory which was ceded during the 1974 maritime boundary agreement with Sri Lanka under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was also the Congress party president. Modi has further accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Tamil Nadu’s ruling party and Congress ally, of having prior knowledge about the negotiation.
In the first official reaction from Colombo, Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry said, “We are of the view that there is no need to discuss this as this was an issue which was solved 50 years ago. I also do not think that such issues will arise”.
Speaking to Sri Lankan media at an iftar function, he said that there was no controversy over the island. “They are having an internal political debate on who is responsible for this. Other than that, no one is talking about reclaiming Kachchatheevu,” he added.
The BJP has been trying to make inroads in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Lok Sabha election by cornering the DMK over the fishermen issue.
While Colombo’s reaction has come comparatively late, the Sri Lankan media had been closely following the developments over Katchatheevu. Several Sri Lankan newspapers published editorials that were critical of the Indian prime minister for raking up the matter for electoral gain and cautioned that it would harm goodwill for New Delhi in the island nation.
