Expressing shock at the counter affidavit filed by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, before the Madras High Court stating that the IMBL between India and Lanka was a settled matter and that Tamil Nadu fishermen have no fishing rights along Katchatheevu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the officials to immediately file a revised affidavit which ‘adequately reflects Tamil Nadu’s concerns.”

Recalling that she had been emphasising that the question of sovereignty over Katchatheevu should not be treated as a settled issue, the Chief Minister pointed out even in 1974, the former Prime Minister, A B Vajpayee, the then leader of the Jan Sangh, had stated that he would file a case against the ceding of Katchatheevu to Lanka by the then Congress government.

However, Jayalalithaa noted that this counter affidavit might have been prepared and approved by the earlier UPA regime and the matter was not brought to the Prime Minister’s  personal attention.

Stating that the unconstitutional ceding of Katchatheevu and the fishing grounds in the vicinity had been emboldening the Lankan Navy to resort to frequent attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen who fish in their traditional fishing grounds, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister to take active steps to abrogate the 1974 and 1976 agreements and retrieve Katchatheevu and restore the traditional fishing rights of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu.

Stating that she was appalled and shocked to read the newspaper reports over the Centre’s affidavit, Jayalalithaa observed that it had always been the stand of her government that Katchatheevu was an integral part of the territory of India.  As per Agreements entered into by the Centre in 1974 and 1976, Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka and the fishermen of Tamil Nadu had been deprived of their fishing rights around Katchatheevu and the Palk Bay ever since then, Indian Express reports.