Tamil Nadu CM slams BJP for 'politics' over Katchatheevu, ignoring fishermen

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday, 15 July, alleged that the Union government did not have even a little concern for the fishermen from the state and that the BJP merely does politics over who ceded Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka.

In his address at a government event in Mayiladuthurai, Stalin said the state government is taking all necessary steps to establish the traditional fishing rights of fishermen and protect their interests.

In all his meetings with the Prime Minister, Stalin said he had been making representations to reclaim Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka to find a permanent solution to the problems faced by Tamil Nadu fishermen.

The chief minister recalled that a resolution was adopted in the state Assembly on April 2, 2025 seeking Katchatheevu's retrieval. The state government is pressing the Centre to secure the release of Indian fishermen from Sri Lankan jails and also bring back their seized boats.

Both the BJP and AIADMK blame the DMK and Congress for the ceding of Katchatheevu.

The chief minister said: "The power to enter into an agreement with a foreign country is vested with the Union government. For over 10 years now, the BJP is in power at the Centre. So far, what are the steps taken by them to retrieve Katchatheevu? Have they at least ensured that Tamil Nadu fishermen are not arrested by Sri Lanka? No, they have not."

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has asserted that they will not give up Katchatheevu. "What is External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's reply? You must think it over; so far, there is no response," he alleged.

Also, the CM said: "We continuously say that the Prime Minister should directly intervene and put a full stop to this issue. I assure our fishermen brothers that the Tamil Nadu government and the DMK will continuously struggle to realise that objective."