DMK MP Wilson seeks inquiry into Katchatheevu RTI reply

CHENNAI: DMK Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate P Wilson on Thursday questioned the veracity of the RTI reply obtained by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai from the union external affairs ministry on Katchatheevu issue and sought a thorough inquiry into the same.

Sharing on his ‘X’ page media reports showing contradictions in the stand adopted by the BJP led union government in the RTI responses, Wilson said, “It is now being reported that the "RTI reply" produced by Tamil Nadu BJP president @annamalai_k and quoted by Hon’ble @narendramodi and Hon’ble @DrSJaishankar on the Katchatheevu issue is fabricated. I am not surprised. They are habituated to peddling fake news.”

Citing an earlier RTI apply of the MEA in 2015 stating that no territory was ceded in 1976, Wilson said, “When I myself raised this issue in Parliament, the Hon. Minister of State, MEA has given a written reply that the BJP Government has not done anything about the agreements since the matter is sub-judice before the Hon. Supreme Court.”

“How can a contrary RTI be given by a PIO? This leads to the grave suspicion that it is a fabricated RTI. Does it not attract criminal offences of tampering and fabricating government records, besides breaching the model code of conduct? I feel a police complaint be registered and the issue should be thoroughly investigated,” he added.

Questioning the timing of the BJP’s interest in the issue, the DMK MP said, “One wonders how the PM of the country can "find out" about Katchatheevu only in March 2024.

Is it selective memory or election hypocrisy? Maybe just like how he remembered TN only from January 2024, Katchatheevu also entered his vocabulary only in March 2024.

Did Katchatheevu not make it to the syllabus of MA (entire political science)? Why has the BJP Government not moved a little finger to get back Katchatheevu from 2014 to 2024 if they really cared about this issue?”