In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of the Congress government for handing over the strategic Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh brought up the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh in 2015. He alleged that the agreement, signed under the NDA government, led to the shrinking of India's land area by 10,051 acres. Ramesh pointed out that while 17,161 acres of Indian territory were handed over, only 7,110 acres were received in return.
Ramesh dismissed PM Modi's remarks as a pre-election tactic by the BJP, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where the party faces challenges in securing seats. He accused the BJP of orchestrating the issue after Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai filed a Right To Information (RTI) application on the matter, suggesting it was a diversionary tactic.
Highlighting the context of the Katchatheevu handover in 1974, Ramesh mentioned the Sirima Bandaranaike-Indira Gandhi Pact, which allowed the repatriation of 6,00,000 Tamil people from Sri Lanka to India. He argued that in doing so, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi secured human rights and dignity for a significant population.
Moreover, Ramesh criticized PM Modi for his handling of the India-China border disputes, particularly after the 2020 Galwan clash, where Indian and Chinese soldiers died. He accused the Prime Minister of giving a "clean chit" to China despite evidence of Chinese incursions onto Indian territory.
Overall, Ramesh's response aimed to counter PM Modi's accusations against Congress regarding the Katchatheevu issue and to highlight what he perceives as failures on the part of the BJP government, particularly in dealing with border security concerns.
