Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress and the DMK on the Katchatheevu island issue, saying both parties have ignored national interests and worry about family interests only.

In a post on X on Monday, the prime minister said “Rhetoric aside, DMK has done NOTHING to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on #Katchatheevu have UNMASKED the DMK’s double standards totally.”

“Congress and DMK are family units. They only care that their own sons and daughters rise. They don’t care for anyone else. Their callousness on Katchatheevu has harmed the interests of our poor fishermen and fisherwomen in particular,” he said.

The prime minister was responding to a media report on the transfer of the Katchatheevu islands to Sri Lanka, based on an RTI reply by the Ministry of External Affairs to a query by Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai.

On Sunday, Mr Modi had commented: “Eye opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds — we can’t ever trust Congress!”

“Weakening India’s unity, integrity and interests has been Congress’ way of working for 75 years and counting,” he said.

The report revealed the government of India under then prime minister Indira Gandhi had ceded the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974.

The island, located between Rameswaram in India and Sri Lanka, was traditionally used by fishermen from both countries. In 1974, Katchatheevu was accepted as Sri Lankan territory under the “Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement.”

Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not give importance to the island territory.

“This is an observation by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in May of 1961. He says, he writes, I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim to it. I do not like matters like this pending. Indefinitely and being raised again and again in parliament. So to Pandit Nehru, this was a little island. It had no importance. He saw it as a nuisance,” Mr Jaishankar said.

He said both, former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, were indifferent towards the strategic significance of Katchatheevu island.

Mr Jaishankar said, “We are talking about 1958 and 1960. The main people in the case wanted to make sure that at least we should get the fishing rights. The island was given away in 1974 and the fishing rights were given away in 1976.”

He said, “The most basic recurring (aspect) is the indifference shown by the then central government and the PMs about the territory of India. The fact is they simply did not care. In an observation given by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru in May 1961, he wrote, ‘I attach no importance at all to this little island and I would have no hesitation in giving up our claim to it.”

Drawing parallels to contemporary concerns over territorial integrity, Mr Jaishankar highlighted the remarks made by Member of Parliament G. Viswanathan from Tamil Nadu, who expressed apprehension over the prioritisation of distant territories like Diego Garcia over Katchatheevu.

Mr Jaishankar recalled Mr Viswanathan’s criticism of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s characterisation of Katchatheevu as a “little rock,” likening it to Nehru’s infamous statement regarding India’s northern boundary.

“I am fast forwarding it to the time when Katchatheevu agreement is done. There is a member of parliament called G. Vishwanathan from Tamil Nadu and he says, this is in from quoting from parliament records. We are worried about Diego Garcia, thousands of miles away from Indian territory, but we are not worried about this small island when we speak of it. The prime minister, he is talking about Indira Gandhiji,” he said.

The minister also went on to mention the significance of the issue and said that the Indian fishermen have been continuously detained by the Sri Lankan Navy.

“In the last 20 years, 6184 Indian fishermen have been detained by Sri Lanka and 1175 Indian fishing boats have been seized by Sri Lanka.

“The fishermen are still being detained today, boats are still being apprehended & the issue is still being raised in Parliament. It is being raised in Parliament by two parties who did it. Whenever there was an arrest, how do you think they were released? It is very good to give statements from Chennai, but the people who do the work are us,” he added.