Decode Politics: Why Katchatheevu, a speck of an island, is causing a splash in Tamil Nadu poll waters

CAN AN uninhabited island, spread over 285 acres, 1.6 km in length and no more than 300 metres broad, give the BJP the space it needs to plant its feet in Tamil Nadu?

The party appears to think so, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday added his weight to BJP claims that the Congress government led by Indira Gandhi had given away the Katchatheevu island in 1974 to Sri Lanka and kept this “hidden”, hence apparently proving the grand old party’s inadequacy to protect the country’s territory.

The allegation was first made by BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai based on an RTI, and was then taken up by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media. He

On Sunday, Modi posted: “Eye opening and startling! New facts reveal how Congress callously gave away #Katchatheevu. This has angered every Indian and reaffirmed in people’s minds — we can’t ever trust Congress!”

On Monday, the PM followed up with a post saying: “Rhetoric aside, DMK has done nothing to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests. New details emerging on Katchatheevu have unmasked the DMK’s double standards totally.”

On Monday, Jaishankar addressed a news conference at the BJP national headquarters where he said Congress PMs had displayed “indifference” about Katchatheevu island, that both Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi referred to Katchatheevu as a “little island” and “little rock”, and that they had given away Indian fishermen’s rights despite legal views to the contrary.

The Union minister also added that DMK leader and then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was fully in the know about Indira Gandhi’s decision, and that the regional party had “connived” with the Centre on the issue.

The focus on Katchatheevu kills several birds with one stone for the BJP. It