New Delhi [India], June 26 : Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday slammed the Congress leadership, alleging that the 1974 Katchatheevu agreement with Sri Lanka was executed without the consent of Tamil Nadu, asserting that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi handed over India's Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka as a "gift".
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT also claimed that this continues to impact Indian fishermen.
Sharing an X post titled "The Dark Chapter of Congress 102", Dubey referred to the 1974 agreement under which Katchatheevu Island was transferred to Sri Lanka. He targeted former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, alleging that the decision was taken without consulting the then Tamil Nadu leadership.
In his detailed post, Dubey wrote, "The Dark Chapter of Congress 102. On June 26, 1974, Indira Gandhi handed over India's Katchatheevu Island to Sri Lanka as a gift. Because of this island's handover, every day our fishermen from Tamil Nadu are caught by the Sri Lankan government, thrown into jail, and tortured."
https://x.com/nishikant_dubey/status/2070326202846605486
He further claimed that the process surrounding the agreement had long-standing political and constitutional implications, and linked it to repeated incidents involving Tamil Nadu fishermen in the region.
He also referred to earlier political developments involving former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, alleging that initial discussions on the issue began during his tenure.
"In the race to become a global leader, it was first in 1957 that Nehru Ji decided to give this island to Sri Lanka. In 1961, Nehru Ji wanted to sign the agreement, but the Foreign Ministry and Law Ministry opposed it. After his death in 1967, Indira Gandhi Ji restarted this initiative. Tamil Nadu was not ready," he wrote.
Dubey further alleged that the then Tamil Nadu leadership under former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was not taken into confidence during the process.
"Ultimately, in 1974, without keeping then-Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Karunanidhi Ji in the loop, on June 20, 1974, Indira Ji sent the Foreign Secretary from Chennai to threaten the then-Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu and signed this agreement with Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike," he claimed.
He also questioned the constitutional validity of the agreement process, stating that any transfer of territory to a foreign entity must follow due parliamentary procedure.
"The Constitution says that any law to give land to a foreign entity must be passed in Parliament... But the Nehru-Gandhi family has no regard for the Constitution, the Supreme Court, or the plight of the suffering people," Dubey said.
The remarks have once again brought the decades-old Katchatheevu issue into political focus, a subject that has frequently led debate between political parties over fishermen's rights and maritime boundary concerns.
The 1974 Katchatheevu bilateral agreement, signed by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, officially conceded a 285-acre uninhabited island in the Palk Strait to Sri Lanka. This deal established the official maritime boundary between the two nations, shifting regional sovereignty and stripping Indian fishermen of their historical fishing rights.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, at present, there is no proposal under discussion between the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka for facilitating fishing by Indian fishermen near Katchatheevu. Representations received from the State Government of Tamil Nadu are related mostly to the release of Indian fishermen apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
The Indian Government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen. The Government has been taking up these issues with the Government of Sri Lanka through diplomatic channels, various official interactions and established bilateral mechanisms, such as the regular meetings of the Joint Working Group on fisheries, which includes representatives from the Government of Tamil Nadu. The last JWG meeting on fisheries was held on 29 October 2024.