'Tamil Nadu aware of DMK's 'deplorable politics of opportunism': BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan on Kachchatheevu Island

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 5 (ANI): BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday said that the people of Tamil Nadu are aware of the "deplorable politics of opportunism" by the DMK regarding the Kachchatheevu Island issue.
He pointed out that while the DMK has raised the matter now, they did nothing about it when they were in power both in Tamil Nadu and at the center.
Speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan said, "As far as the DMK is concerned the people of Tamil Nadu are well aware of the deplorable politics of opportunism of the DMK and the hypocritical drama of the DMK."
He further questioned and said, "Did DMK pass any assembly resolution regarding taking back Kachchatheevu Island when it was in power between 2006 and 2011? DMK was also part of the central government from 2004 to 2013. Did they take any action to take back Kachchatheevu Island? Their hypocrisy has been completely exposed before the people of Tamil Nadu."
The Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution on April 2 regarding the retrieval of Katchatheevu island to protect the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay area.
The letter dated April 3, reads, "I am writing this letter to bring to your immediate attention to the Resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on 02.04.2025 regarding the retrieval of Katchatheevu island, to protect the traditional fishing rights of the Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay area. I would like to point out that the origin of the problem is the Indo-Sri Lankan Treaty (Katchatheevu Agreement) made between the two Countries in the year 1974."
The Chief Minister further stated that the Tamil Nadu government has always opposed the Katchatheevu agreement by the Union government in 1974 and had passed resolutions earlier to condemn this.
The letter reads, "The Government of Tamil Nadu has been steadfast in opposing the Katchatheevu agreement right from the beginning. The Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu had strongly opposed the ceding of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka in Parliament in 1974. After the signing of the Katchatheevu Agreement by the Union Government on 28.06.1974 without the consent of the State Government, the then Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi immediately convened an all-party meeting at the Secretariat on the very next day on 29.06.1974 and passed a resolution condemning it and wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister on the same day."
"Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on 21.08.1974 strongly opposing the decision of the Union Government on the issue of Katchatheevu. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has passed similar resolutions on 03.10.1991, 03.05.2013 and 05.12.2014 reiterating the consistent demand of retrieving the Katchatheevu Island to protect the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen," it added.
Citing numbers, CM Stalin said in the letter, "In the year 2024, 530 Indian fishermen have been arrested, and in the first three months of the year 2025, 147 fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. Our fishermen are being sentenced to maximum imprisonment and are being levied hefty fines. Besides this, their boats are confiscated and put to auction. All these aggressive measures of Sri Lanka have pushed our fishermen to the brink of extreme poverty and reaffirms our repeated demand for retrieval of Katchatheevu, which is the only way to find a permanent solution to this problem."
CM Stalin has urged the Centre to immediately review the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement and take steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island.
The letter reads, "In this regard, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution on 02.04.2025, urging the Union Government to immediately review the IndoSri Lankan Agreement and take all steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island and also to urge the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India to hold talks with the Sri Lankan Government to get all our imprisoned fishermen released along with their boats on a goodwill basis, during the upcoming official visit to Sri Lanka. A copy of the same is enclosed. I request your good office to take immediate steps to review the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement as soon as possible so that the Katchatheevu Island is retrieved and the traditional." (ANI)