BJP Slams Congress Over 1974 Katchatheevu Transfer, Calls It 'Historic Dark Chapter'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched a fresh attack on the Congress , accusing it of compromising India's national interests by recognising Sri Lanka's sovereignty over Katchatheevu in 1974.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi described the transfer of the uninhabited island in the Palk Strait as another "historic dark chapter" in the Congress party's record.

Drawing a parallel with the Emergency, Trivedi said, "Yesterday, we remembered the tragic chapter of the Emergency, and today marks another historic dark chapter in the Congress party's calendar of surrender."

He alleged that the decision has continued to affect Tamil Nadu fishermen , who frequently face difficulties while fishing in waters around Katchatheevu. Trivedi also referred to the Saint Anthony shrine on the island, claiming that Indian devotees face restrictions in accessing the site despite carrying the Indian national flag on their boats.

The BJP leader further accused the Congress of having a history of compromising India's territorial and strategic interests . He cited the Partition in 1947, the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the 1948 conflict, the loss of Aksai Chin after the 1962 war with China, and the transfer of Katchatheevu as examples of what he termed the party's "calendar of surrender."

Trivedi said Katchatheevu came under Sri Lanka's control on June 28, 1974 , adding that the episode remains a reminder for the younger generation of what he described as the Congress government's failure to safeguard India's national interests.

Katchatheevu is an uninhabited island in the Palk Strait , and India recognised Sri Lanka's sovereignty over it under a bilateral maritime agreement signed in 1974.