Lok Sabha Elections: 'Baseless', Digvijaya On PM Modi's 'Katchatheevu Island' Allegations Against Congress

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday termed allegations against the Congress over the Katchatheevu island issue as "baseless".

The decades-old territorial and fishing rights dispute around the Katchatheevu island is in the limelight ahead of the Lok Sabha elections with the BJP and the opposition engaged in a war of words over the issue.

The island is located between Rameswaram in India and Sri Lanka.

In 1974, the then central government accepted Katchatheevu as Sri Lankan territory under the "Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement." Asked about the Narendra Modi government's charge that the Congress had handed over the island to Sri Lanka, Digvijaya Singh told reporters, "I want to ask whether anyone is living there on the Katchatheevu island."

To a query on fishermen facing problems because of the then Congress government's decision, he said, "These are baseless talks without any substance."

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the Congress has not done anything for tribal communities, Singh said, "He is free to say whatever he wants to. But the issue is that why the BJP is behind in giving rights to them (tribals)?" Why the BJP state governments have not followed the Forest Rights Act, the PESA Act and why they are not giving any rights to village committees (gram sabhas)? the Congress leader asked.

Singh also condemned the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"It is highly condemnable that elected chief ministers are disrespected in such a manner," Singh said.

Kejriwal has been arrested by the ED in an excise policy-linked money laundering case.