Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 4 (ANI): AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's recent call for the Union government to retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka and accused him of staging a 'drama' for political gain ahead of the upcoming elections.

Kovai Sathyan said that the demand to retrieve the Katchatheevu island was 'politically motivated' and aimed at giving the people of Tamil Nadu the impression that the DMK government was working for them.

Speaking to ANI over MK Stalin's letter to retrieve Katchatheevu island from Sri Lanka, AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, 'Yet another drama by the incompetent MK Stalin. The term won with 37 MPs. None of them spoke about Katchatheevu in the Parliament from 2019 to 24. Now, for the past couple of months, nothing was spoken about Katchatheevu by these MPs. Since elections are nearing, they need something to talk about and tell the people of Tamil Nadu that they have worked hard for them.'

'Now, suddenly, one fine day, MK Stalin is enlightened that Katchatheevu has to be retrieved. He writes a letter to retrieve the confiscated boats. After the auction was over, he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking intervention. These are all misplaced priorities of DMK. He writes a letter to retrieve the confiscated boats. Whatever letter he writes, they have no meaning or importance. This is nothing but a drama, keeping in mind the assembly elections,' said Kovai Sathyan.

This comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, requesting him to take 'immediate steps to review the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement at the earliest so that the Katchatheevu Island is retrieved and the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen are permanently protected.'

The Chief Minister said that the Tamil Nadu Government has been steadfast in opposing the Katchatheevu agreement, which was signed between the two countries in 1974.

The Chief Minister said that after the the signing of the Katchatheevu Agreement by the Union Government on June 28, 1974 'without the consent of the State Government,' the then Chief Minister Kalaignar Karunanidhi immediately convened an all-party meeting at the Secretariat on the very next day on June 29, 1974 and 'passed a resolution condemning it' and wrote a letter to the then Prime Minister on the same day.'

In his letter, he said that the frequent apprehensions of fishermen and the seizure of their boats in large numbers have put the lives of the coastal community in a state of permanent anxiety and distress and the livelihood of the fishermen has also become uncertain due to the arrests and seizures.

The Chief Minister pointed out that in the year 2024, 530 Indian fishermen were arrested and in the first three months of the year 2025, 147 fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.

He pointed to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly's unanimous resolution urging the Centre to take all steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island.

'In this regard, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution on April 2, 2025, urging the Union Government to immediately review the Indo-Sri Lankan Agreement and take all steps to retrieve Katchatheevu Island and also to urge the Prime Minister of India to hold talks with the Sri Lankan Government to get all our imprisoned fishermen released along with their boats on a goodwill basis, during the upcoming official visit to Sri Lanka,' the Chief Minister said. (ANI)