Opposition rakes up MEA’s statement

New Delhi, April 1

The Congress countered the government attack on Katchatheevu citing a January 27, 2015, RTI reply by the MEA when S Jaishankar was the Foreign Secretary.

“S Jaishankar is disowning the reply given by the ministry on January 27, 2015, when he was Foreign Secretary. The MEA’s response in the matter (Katchatheevu) in 2015 had said, “This (the 1974 agreement) did not involve either acquiring or ceding of territory belonging to India since the area in question had never been demarcated. Under the agreements, the Island of Katchatheevu lies on the Sri Lankan side of the India-Sri Lanka International Maritime Boundary Line,” AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed. Former minister P Chidambaram too used the 2015 reply to attack Jaishankar. “How quickly can people change colours? From a suave liberal foreign service officer to a smart Foreign Secretary to a mouthpiece of the RSS-BJP, life and times of Mr Jaishankar will be recorded in the annals of acrobatic sports,” he said.

Congress chief Malikarjun Kharge cited China renaming more areas in Arunachal and said, “When China resorts to provocation, PM Modi attempts to seek refuge by a false narrative on Katchatheevu!”