Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegation that Tamil fishermen were attacked by the Sri Lankan Navy because of the sins jointly committed by the DMK and the Congress, and said that Katchatheevu was given to Sri Lanka despite strong protests by the DMK.
“The Prime Minister, without any qualms, has uttered a lie. The people of Tamil Nadu know the truth. Is the Prime Minister so innocent to believe that a State government can cede a part of the country to another nation? What are the steps taken by the BJP in the last 10 years to retrieve Katchatheevu?,” he asked on social media.
Mr. Stalin wondered why the BJP government failed to prevent the arrest and torture of Tamil fishermen at the hands of Sri Lankan Navy.
“Are they not Indians? Why has the BJP government that pressured the Sri Lankan government for the business interests of the Adani Group not raised its voice for the traditional fishing rights of Tamil fishers?,” he asked.
The Chief Minister further said that the procedure of jailing fishermen when they commit the same offence for the second time was introduced only when the BJP was in power, and the party had not done anything to prevent it.
The BJP government was ignoring the interests of Tamil Nadu and Mr. Modi had no answer when the people asked him to list the special programmes that his government had implemented for the welfare of Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said.
“Lies and laments echoed from the dais from which he spoke. Why does the Prime Minister who calls himself Vishwaguru remain a silent guru? Fishermen will expose the farcical drama of the BJP government, which indulges in mudslinging to cover up its failures. The time has come to remove the mask,” he added.
