Tamil Nadu Elections: Karunanidhi Hits Back At Jayalalithaa Over Katchatheevu

Chennai: Hitting back at AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for blaming him for the ceding of Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka, DMK president M Karunanidhi today accused her of enacting a "farce drama" by promising now to retrieve the islet after failing to act on her earlier assurance in 1991.

In a statement, he said Jayalalithaa in her speech during Independence Day celebrations in 1991 had said her government would retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka.

"What she was doing all these days? Why did she not retrieve Katchatheevu when her party was in power?" Mr Karunanidhi asked.

He was reacting to Ms Jayalalithaa's remarks at a recent campaign at Arupukottai for May 16 Assembly elections in which she accused him of being "party" to India ceding Katchatheevu island in the Palk Bay to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, by not moving court against the then Centre's decision.

Stating that ceding Katchatheevu was the key reason for the recurring arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen, she had alleged Mr Karunanidhi remained silent then without taking any action. Countering her charge, Mr Karunanidhi said his party had voiced for retaining the rights of fishermen (to fish in Katchatheevu) on several occasions.

"Soon after the agreement was sig ned on June 28, 1974, the very next day I had convened an all party meeting and a resolution was passed. But it was AIADMK which boycotted it," he said.

"When AIADMK was in power between 1991 and 1996, 2001 and 2006 and from 2011-till now, I have been asking why it did not take any efforts to retrieve the islet. Why there is no answer (from Jayalalithaa)?" he asked.

After "hiding" statements made by her that only the Centre had the rights to retrieve the islet, Jayalalithaa was now promising that if AIADMK was voted to power, it will take steps to get it back.

"It is only a farce drama. People will not believe it," he said.