Katchatheevu ‘diplomacy’ getting TN fishers killed midsea, Annamalai takes jibe at Selvaperunthagai

CHENNAI: State BJP president K Annamalai on Wednesday criticised TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai’s statement that handing over the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka was an act of diplomacy, questioning whether Chief Minister MK Stalin would endorse this view.

Responding to Selvaperunthagai’s statement that the handover of Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka was an act of diplomacy by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Annamalai questioned the Grand Old Party’s definition of diplomacy, citing the arrest of thousands of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and the seizure of their boats.

“Is this what you call diplomacy? Hundreds of our fishermen have been killed in the middle of the sea. Does that also fall under the purview of diplomacy? Our fishermen have lost their livelihoods due to the seizure of their boats. Is that an example of your brand of diplomacy?” Annamalai questioned in a social media post.

Annamalai also trained his guns on the ruling DMK, accusing the party of betraying the interests of State fishermen by supporting the handover of the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka.

“For 50 years, the DMK has been making a mockery of the fishermen’s plight, using it as a poll plank to garner votes. But when it came to taking a stand on the issue, they chose to remain silent,” he alleged.

The BJP leader further questioned Chief Minister M K Stalin’s stance on the issue, asking whether he would endorse Selvaperunthagai’s views on the handover of Katchatheevu.

“Will the Chief Minister have the courage to admit that the handover of Katchatheevu was a diplomatic act, as claimed by the TNCC president?” Annamalai asked.