No Ground For Claims: Sri Lanka Dismisses Indian Politicians' Claims On Katchatheevu Island

Douglas Devananda, Sri Lanka's Minister of Fisheries, has dismissed statements by Indian politicians about 'reclaiming' the Katchatheevu island, stating that they "do not have any ground." He made these remarks amidst a political controversy in India ahead of the upcoming general elections, with the ruling BJP accusing the Congress of 'ceding' Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka.

Devananda attributed the statements to the election season in India, noting that such claims and counter-claims are not unusual during this time. He suggested that New Delhi's interest in the island is to restrict access for Sri Lankan fishermen and prevent the island nation from claiming rights to the area's resources.

The minister also mentioned the "West Bank," an area larger than Katchatheevu, located below Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, India. He highlighted that this area, which India secured in a 1976 agreement, is 80 times bigger than Katchatheevu.

The BJP has accused the Congress and its ally DMK, which governs Tamil Nadu, of being 'callous' on the Katchatheevu issue. In response, the Congress and DMK have criticized the Narendra Modi government for allegedly misleading the public and questioned its silence on the matter despite being in power for 10 years.

The 1974 agreement between India and Sri Lanka allowed Indian fishermen to access Katchatheevu without travel documents. However, an additional agreement in 1976 revoked this right, as highlighted by India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, in a recent press conference.